The Tales of the Archer and the Songbird
by rckyfrk
Summary: My collection of Bethyl one-shots. Most are from Bethyl Week on Tumblr. My inbox is always hungry for prompts. Anyway, most of these will be Rated T, but I'm marking the collection as M...just in case.
1. Worth Waiting For

They were inseparable since he'd gotten her back. He'd traveled through hell and high water to find her, and now that she was back, he wasn't about to let her out of his sight. Daryl once again felt that calm that only Beth could give him so easily, and knew he couldn't bear to lose it again. He kept her by his side at all times.

Maggie had gone with Glenn, keeping his promise to Abraham to help on the way to Washington, D.C., and while Beth had her family from the prison there with her, she had no real family of her own. The thought troubled Daryl; she deserved a family to love her and support her, who would stop at nothing to help her no matter the cost.

Daryl had already claimed her as his family in his mind, though his intentions were still kept secret from her and the rest of the group. As far as he was concerned, she was his, forever; this was it. He couldn't put a name to the feelings he had for her, having never felt anything like them before, but she made him happy, and he would do everything in his power to make her happy, to keep her safe, to never let her want for anything.

As part of his protection, he kept her close, bringing her with him while he went out to hunt, continuing to teach her how to track, to fire his crossbow, to prepare their catch for cooking. They sat next to each other at meal times; Daryl would shoot frosty looks at anyone who even looked like they were about to suggest otherwise. While Beth balked at his insistence to accompany her even when she needed to use the bathroom or wash up, she soon realized exactly what he was doing and relented, taking comfort in the fact that he couldn't be without her, not even for a minute.

They slept together every night, though not in the biblical sense. Daryl found he couldn't even find any semblance of sleep unless she was right there by his side, curled into him somehow. He didn't care if she was facing him or not while she slept; he just needed her there, needed to know she was safe in his arms, so he could snatch even the briefest of catnaps. When it was his turn to keep watch, he would do so from wherever she rested her head.

After several days of walking together with the group, he felt her hand close around his. He looked down at her, almost surprised by the contact, but she never met his gaze, instead keeping her eyes on the trail in front of them. He let his thumb absently trace over hers as they walked; that simple motion served as an aid to remind them both that they were once again together, never to be apart again as long as there was breath in Daryl's lungs. The more accustomed he became to her holding his hand, the more he yearned for it. He would never forget the smile she gave him when he finally reached for her hand instead of vice versa, interlacing their fingers together as they walked. This new gesture became commonplace, even expected, whenever they weren't using both of their hands.

There were many moments when Daryl would find himself staring at her, memorizing her beautiful face, every tiny detail, especially her new scars that made her look so fierce. While he hated the pain she must have gone through when she was away from him, he appreciated her strength in surviving, and eventually began to love her scars as he realized they made her more like him. He could never prove if she was doing it on purpose, but sometimes when he'd be staring at her like some lovesick teenager, she would softly sigh and slowly lick her lips, chewing on them in such a way that Daryl couldn't ever tear his eyes off her. He often speculated what she was thinking about, if she knew how much she meant to him, if she was only tolerating him because she was too damned sweet to tell him to get lost. He found himself wondering what her lips would feel like against his, what her tongue would taste like, what her breath would sound like in his ear with her soft body underneath his.

And as quickly as the thoughts would come to him, he would shake them away. He couldn't go down that road. He couldn't let himself hope to get that close to her, to mean that much to her. No, he would be happy with what he had; just her being next to him was enough. At least that's what he tried to convince himself. As far as he knew, this was all he deserved, and he'd be happy with that.

One night, Rick decided it was time for Carl to start sitting up and taking a turn in the watch rotation and volunteered for the two of them to take the first shift. Even though he was skeptical, Daryl accepted Rick's decision and lay down next to Beth. He stretched out his arm, providing Beth what little comfort he could. She fell asleep quickly, her ear pressed to his bicep, her arms crossed over her chest between them. He looked at her sweet face, so peaceful in sleep. Her lips parted slightly, her warm breath dancing across his arm and neck and chest.

The urge to kiss her hit him full force, but he fought it back down stubbornly. Instead he reached out and tenderly tucked the hair that had fallen across her face to its place behind her ear. His thumb moved of its own volition, stroking her cheek over her newly healed scar. He was leaning into her, inhaling her scent, but still not allowing him any more contact than the little touches he was stealing now.

Beth started to move next to him in her sleep, stretching her body against his. Without warning, her arm came up and around him, unconsciously pulling herself closer to his body. He heard her whisper his name just before she lifted her chin, her lips instinctively seeking his.

Daryl's eyes widened in surprise; his eyebrows almost reached his hairline. She moved her mouth against his, a delicate sigh escaping her lips. Once the shock started to wear off, he let his eyes drift shut as he began to match her movements; her tongue traced his bottom lip and he opened to her without a second thought.

As quickly as it had begun, the kiss was over. Beth pulled back; her eyelids flittered open and she briefly looked up at him; her eyes remained unfocused before they closed again and she nestled herself back onto his arm. Her soft breathing resumed its gentle cadence against his skin.

Daryl couldn't move, he couldn't think, he could barely breathe. His faculties finally returned to him as reality hit him like a Mack truck. Beth Greene had just kissed him. He realized then and there this was her subconscious acting out some hidden desire. His ears recalled how wonderful his name sounded in her voice. His lips still tingled from the fleeting contact. Her kiss, short-lived as it was, had rocked him to his very core.

His heart sank as easily as it had risen. She wouldn't remember any of it, surely. Still, it had happened, and he would remember it for as long as he lived. He would never mention it to her, wouldn't want to embarrass her or let her think that he'd be expecting more from her. He would wait for her to come to this conclusion on her own during waking hours. He couldn't bring himself to try to make the first move, even with this silent vote of confidence from her.

Daryl lay on his back, his thoughts a blur in his mind. Sleep would be very unlikely tonight. He relived the moment in his mind and found he couldn't wait to kiss her again.

He would wait, as long as he needed to. She was worth waiting for.


	2. After the Hunt

**After the Hunt – Bethyl One Shot – Prompt: Memory**

Daryl had tracked the deer for what felt like miles before finally catching up with it. He'd followed it literally over the river and through the woods – as long as he considered the stream he had just waded across a river. The deer had finally stopped to graze in a small clearing. He took aim and fired a bolt straight through its neck. The animal fell to the ground; Daryl rushed over, unsheathing his knife as he moved, and put the animal down quickly.

As he stepped looked around the clearing, making sure the area was free of any walkers before he gathered the animal and readied himself for the trek back home, he realized this wasn't so much a forest clearing but a front yard. Hidden in the woods was a tiny cottage, weather-worn and beaten by the elements, covered in weeds, vines and moss. The thing looked like it could collapse at any minute, and that was the only thing keeping him from entering it and searching for any kind of supplies.

The sight of the small, worn down building sent his memories racing to the forefront of his mind, back to where it had all began for him – back to the moonshine shack. Back to where he had first opened up to Beth, so long ago. Back to where he had opened his heart to her, pouring out everything – all the crap, the pain, the insecurity – and laying it at her feet. Back where she had reached out and pulled him back from the ledge, away from the dangerous spiral he could feel himself falling into.

Back to where she had touched his heart, wrapped her loving self around it, and never let go, healing him with every word, every look, every breath.

As he carried the deer carcass back home, he remembered what had started the whole argument – moonshine. How she had wanted that drink so damn bad, she would have gone through hell to get it.

He supposed that's really what she'd done. Gone through hell, dragging him alongside her, and come out clean on the other side.

He'd gone through his own personal hell when he'd lost her. He fought the memories of despair, of hopelessness, of the darkness he faced without her.

He slogged through the stream again, climbing up the bank slowly. The added weight of the deer threw him off balance, he mis-stepped and over compensated, causing him to fall to his knees and onto his shoulder, not wanting to release his grip on dinner, not being able to catch his fall.

He found himself covered in mud and muck, dead leaves and who knows what else. He could have turned around and rinsed off in the stream, but then he'd just have to climb back up again anyway, and the thought of fresh roasted deer meat had him ignoring the mess he'd become and forced him to continue on.

His thoughts returned to the moonshine shack, how Beth had taken to drinking greedily, rushing towards her first bout with drunkenness. He remembered telling her to drink lots of water, knowing that even though she was thirsty, the moonshine would knock her for a hell of a loop. "Yes, Mr. Dixon," she had mumbled, and his heart clenched. He'd hated her calling him that. It made him think back to his dad, piece of shit that he was. He'd hated sharing that name, that title with him.

Over time, as Beth had continued calling him that, he let the hatred die with the life he'd left behind. She'd said the name teasingly, and as of lately, he damn well enjoyed hearing her sweet voice address him. "Mr. Dixon," was his own man now, a man she was proud of...a man he'd been proud to become.

He looked up at the cabin he'd called home and smiled. He shook his head and grinned at how out of place it looked in this world. There was a small vegetable garden off to the side and a collection of flowers gracing the flower boxes hanging from the windows, most of which he didn't know the name of. He could smell the smoke coming from the chimney, rising from the wood-burning stove hiding in the corner of the main room.

Daryl deposited the deer on the front porch and pulled the screen door open, stepping inside, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light inside the cabin.

When he could finally see well enough, his eyes alighted on the tiny blonde standing near the sink, washing off the vegetables she'd just picked as she began to prepare their dinner. He smiled widely as his eyes rested on her, taking all of her in. He walked over to her, sliding his arms around her, resting his hands on her belly, which was just starting to swell, showing the signs of the life that grew within her. His baby. Their baby. He kissed her cheek and murmured, "Honey, I'm home."

Beth grinned as she turned her head to kiss his cheek in return. Then her face fell before showing the first signs of anger. She turned in his arms and pushed him away, almost playfully. Daryl grimaced; he knew what was coming next.

"Daryl Dixon! Look at you! You're a mess! I just got done sweeping this floor and you bring all kinds of dirt and mud in? Go kick those boots off outside and come in and change!"

He grinned sheepishly as he backed away, not able to take her eyes off her.

"Yes, Mrs. Dixon."


	3. Bright

**Bethyllovenotes prompt - Bright**

Daryl woke up to the sound of her calling his name. His eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright in bed. She wasn't there. He hung his head as reality washed over him. It was like his dreams, his nightmares, really, were coming true. Night after night, her voice would penetrate his mind, calling him over and over, haunting him.

He thought once they'd found her the dreams would stop, the voices would stop. Had it all been a dream? Was she really back with the group or was it all in his head? He'd heard of people thinking and wishing for things so badly that their mind starts tricking them into believing it had really happened. Maybe he'd done the same thing. He could have sworn he'd fallen asleep with her in his arms. Maybe it was just wishful thinking. His heart sank, loaded down with guilt and loss, as his mind filled with worry and anxiety. She had been so real.

But then he heard her voice again. Shit…now he was hearing things even when he was awake? He was really losing it now. He shook his head and shut his eyes, hoping that would help, and waited to see if he would hear it again.

"Daryl!" her voice ripped through the silent room. His eyes opened and his head jerked up to see her there, standing in the doorway, an amused but expectant look on her face. "I've been calling you for a good five minutes. You okay?"

Daryl couldn't find enough air in his lungs to respond. Finally he got out half a laugh and a glimmer of a smile. "Yeah. Yeah, 'm fine."

"Come on out here. I want you to see this," she said with a wide grin on her face before turning and walking briskly down the hall.

Daryl threw the scratchy blanket off him and shoved his feet in his boots. He grabbed his crossbow and followed the blonde down the hallway and outside.

"Jesus!" he exclaimed as he stepped out of the front door to the cabin the group had found and shared the night before. "It's damn bright out here," he complained as he shielded his eyes with his hand

Beth stepped up to him and grabbed his other hand, leading him to whatever it was he was supposed to see. "You've just been in the dark for too long."

He dropped his hand and looked down at her, then at their joined hands. "You have no idea."


	4. Family

**Bethyllovenotes Prompt - Family**

The group hadn't been reunited for long before packing everything up once again and heading down the road. Noah had told them of a safe place, a place with walls, where they had a large community already set up. Daryl was skeptical to say the least, but the kid had been good on his word, had gotten everyone in and out of that damn hospital, had known just how to get Beth and Carol out safely, and he'd be eternally grateful for that.

Daryl couldn't let his guard down, not again. Not after he'd opened that door at the funeral home and the rug had been pulled out from underneath him. Not after the hell that was Terminus. He'd never be able to trust anything again. he'd learned time and time again throughout his life that if something seemed too good to be true, it probably was.

It broke his heart that that philosophy included Beth. She was the epitome of too good to be true. Even after all she had been through, all the pain and loss she had endured, she still had hope; she still saw the best in every situation. He marveled at her strength, both inside and outside. He wished he could be half as strong as her. For now, the best he could do was just be with her and dare to hope that he'd learn from her. It was a silent trade he had agreed to in exchange for teaching her to track and hunt. He'd never admit it to her, of course, though in some strange way, he figured she already knew.

His only solace, the only way he could reconcile the guilt he carried around with him, was her constant forgiveness, her overwhelming goodness. Whenever he felt himself drifting back into the darkness of his thoughts, his doubts, his worries, she was there, literally taking him by the hand and pulling him back…back to her, back to the light. Even when his malaise had lifted, he would hold on to her, not wanting to lose that connection.

It appeared she didn't want to lose it, either. He noticed her walking closer to him as the miles of highway passed under their feet. When they would stop and make camp and prepare what little food they had to share, she would, more often than not, plant herself by his side. He fought hard to ignore the knowing looks directed at the two of them from the rest of the group. It surprised the hell out of him when, on one of the few occasions that he hadn't volunteered for watch, she had laid down next to him. He was both grateful for and hated the space between them. One night he mustered all the courage he could, fueled by curiosity and exhaustion, and brushed his fingers along hers. When she didn't pull her hand away, Daryl turned on his side to face her, confused as to where his sudden boldness was coming from, but more than glad when she matched his movements and turned to look right back at him. He could only swallow and stare as she reached out for his hand and placed it gently on her hip, then scooted herself closer, her eyes never leaving his, until she found herself in the strong cage of his arms. As the nights passed, this became routine, until Daryl began to offer his arms to her automatically, and Beth would only smile up at him and snuggle into his chest, and they were both home.

They finally made it down the long road north, ending up in a town called Alexandria. Noah was right: a large portion of the town was surrounded by walls, and it seemed like there was plenty of places for people to stay. Hell, even if the houses were empty and they had to sleep on the floor, it would be better than sleeping on the hard ground. There were four houses available for the group to share however they saw fit.

An unexplained panic filled Daryl. He felt like the kid who was sure to get picked last for dodgeball, full of anxiety over who would offer to take him in, a fear he had never been able to shed since he was a kid. Rick, Carl, Judith and Michonne would take one house, obviously. Sasha, Tyreese and Carol would take another. Maggie, Beth and Glenn in a third and Abraham, Rosita and Eugene in the last. He didn't feel like he would really belong or feel welcome in any of the houses. These were groups already established. Rick was his brother, but he had his family there with him…his real family. Same with Ty and Sasha, and there was some newly-forged bond between Carol and Tyreese that he hadn't seen before and certainly hadn't expected, but he felt like he'd be intruding if he asked to stay with them. He still didn't trust any of Abraham's group enough to ask to share their house, and he was positive Maggie (and by default Glenn) would have nothing but second guesses about allowing him into the house, but that was really the only place left for him to go. It was the only place he really wanted to be…nearest to Beth as he could get.

It surprised the hell out of him when Beth invited him in. "You're welcome to say here with us," she had offered. Daryl shouldered his bag and readjusted the strap of his crossbow and followed her into the bungalow. He tried to stop the ugly thoughts from filling his brain, the ones that were telling him that she only pitied him, that she was too kind to leave anyone just hanging, that it wasn't just him, that she'd be that welcoming to any member of their group.

Her voice cut through the din of his melancholy thoughts, "Daryl? You okay?" He only grunted and nodded in return, hoping to hide the forlorn look on his face before she saw it and figured out, in that way she does so well now, just exactly what was bothering him.

She stood directly in front of him and looked into his eyes. He loved and hated when she did that; it was like she could see straight through into his heart, to his innermost thoughts, to the depths of his soul. She could read him like a book, and could decipher him with no trouble at all.

"Daryl, you do realize any of us would have taken you in. We're family, no matter what, and we take care of our own," she tried explaining to him.

He only shrugged, "Never had much of a family. Me and Merle mighta had each other's backs, but wouldn't say we took care of each other."

"Well, surprise, because we do." She giggled before continuing, "Before all this happened, there was this movie. It was a Disney movie, I doubt…I don't know if you'd seen it," she quickly corrected herself, not wanting to insult him, however inadvertently. "Lilo and Stitch? About the little alien who landed his spaceship in Hawai'i?" Daryl raised his eyebrows but the rest of his expression stayed impassive. Beth grinned and continued, "Well, there's a line that the little girl says to the alien, Stitch. She says, "Ohana means family…family means no one gets left behind." She took a step closer to him. "You made sure I didn't get left behind, Daryl. You're family. You're my family." She took his hand, interlacing their fingers. "And I can be yours if you want."

Her eyes were glistening in the soft moonlight pouring in through the window. Daryl wasn't sure what to say, so instead he tightened his fingers around hers and nodded slowly. He realized it didn't matter where they ended up, this girl was his home, his family, his world, and nothing would ever change that.


	5. Hands Off

**Hands Off – AU One Shot**

**I dedicate this to Hearts 1989. I am NOT continuing this story...don't even ask. **

"I am just the luckiest girl, you know that?" Beth asked, smiling up at Daryl as she wrapped her arms around his waist. They were cuddled up on her couch, enjoying a quiet afternoon alone.

"You win the lottery or something?" Daryl teased as he leaned back to look down at her.

Beth playfully hit his chest with her hand, her smile never leaving her face. "No, you goof. Because I have you."

Daryl draped his arm across her shoulders and pulled her closer. "Is that so?"

Beth nodded and hummed, "Mm-hmm." She began to list off the traits she liked most about him, dragging her fingertips up and down his chest as she did so. "You're strong, you're sweet, romantic when you want to be, a bad ass when you need to be..."

"Keep goin'. Ya ain't done yet," Daryl smirked at her.

"You make me laugh, you're a hard worker, you're...really quite handsome. I'd say you're even downright sexy." She giggled at the last part, a slight blush crossing her face.

"Yeah? Well, you're pretty sexy yourself," he murmured as he bent his head to kiss the sensitive skin on the side of her neck.

"My family loves you, my friends love you...I love you..." her voice came out as a whisper. She suddenly turned shy – they had never said the 'L' word before – she wasn't sure how he was going to take it. They had only been together for about a month. Heck, they'd never even gone past the kissing stage; she wanted to take things slowly, and he was willing to oblige. Still, she felt it deep in her heart; she was definitely falling in love with this man.

He sat still for a moment, letting her words sink in. Were they at this stage already? Daryl hadn't been in many relationships before, but all of this, what he had with her, just felt right. He found himself wanting to share everything with her...to tell her that he loved her back...but he couldn't tell her his biggest secret. You weren't supposed to hide things from the person you loved, right? She'd never look at him the same way, probably wouldn't want to be with him anymore. He was certainly ashamed of it, but couldn't escape it either. No...he'd keep both these secrets from her. He bent his head and kissed her soft lips, hoping that would be enough of an answer for her.

When she eventually pulled away from his kiss, she breathed against his lips, "And you're such a good kisser."

Daryl smirked against her, "Hey, it takes two to tango, darlin'."

Beth's eyes lit up, "That reminds me. There's a new club opening up downtown. Club Zombie or something. We oughta go there, go dancing sometime."

"Naw," Daryl frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Oh come on," Beth prodded, "It could be a lot of fun. Something different for us to do."

Daryl tried changing topics, "Oh, you want something different? I can show you something different." He started licking and sucking at the tender flesh just below her ear, drawing goose bumps all along her skin.

Beth pushed him away playfully, "Nice try, mister. Come on, why don't you want to go?"

"I just don't want to go dancing, alright? Jeez, just drop it!" Daryl barked at her, pulling his arm away from her.

Beth gave him a moment to calm down before she gently pressed closer to his side, "Alright. Okay, we won't go. Maggie and Sasha have been bugging me for a girls' night out, anyway. I'll go check it out with them."

Daryl nodded, still not returning her embrace. He hated when she pushed him like this. He pushed himself off the couch, "I gotta get going. Gotta bounce for Merle tonight."

Beth's face fell, realizing she'd pushed him too far. "Oh. Alright," she said, her voice heavy with disappointment. "Will I see you tomorrow?" she looked up hopefully.

Daryl turned to face her, hating the sad look in her eyes. He hated denying her anything, hated making her feel anything but happiness. She deserved so much better than him. For whatever reason, one that he couldn't begin to fathom, she decided he was worthy, and that was something. He held out a hand to help her off the couch and pulled her in for a hug. He pressed a kiss into her hair and mumbled, "Yeah…gotta work again tomorrow night, but I'll call you."

Beth smiled against his chest. "Okay." She felt Daryl start to pull away, but she held fast to him. "Daryl?"

"Yeah?"

"Hands to yourself tonight," she teased him and kissed him quickly on the lips.

"Shut up," he said with a smirk. He kissed her again and slid out of her arms and walked to the door.

Once Daryl had left, Beth called up Maggie and Sasha to see about setting a date for girls' night. It turned out the night that worked best for all of them was the very next night unless they wanted to put their plans off for another month or so. Beth figured since Daryl had to work anyway, she might as well make the most of her night, and made plans with her friends.

It turned out, Club Zombie was a bust. The cover charge to get in was wildly exorbitant, the drinks were watered down and over-priced, and the DJ was mediocre at best. Beth could feel the thudding bass pounding through her, and could feel a headache coming on. She signaled to her friends, asking if they wanted to stay; the music was so loud, actually speaking to each other was essentially impossible. Together they made their way to the exit and headed to Maggie's car.

"It is way too early to go home now," Sasha complained, pointing to the clock reading 9:35. "Where else can we go?"

All three girls threw out ideas, most of which were shot down due to cover charges or snotty bartenders. Sasha suggested, "What about AMC?"

Beth laughed in disbelief, "Atlanta Men's Club? Uh…I don't think they'd let us in."

"No, I swear I saw a sign outside that said ladies' night was Thursday," Sasha explained. "Come on, let's go! Maybe they'll have good drink specials or something."

Beth and Maggie couldn't find any reason not to. Besides, if Daryl was working, maybe he could hook them up with a free drink or two.

When they arrived, Beth was confused to find that Daryl was not working out front as bouncer. She frowned, a little disappointed. Maybe he was taking care of something inside. Maggie and Sasha whooped in excitement when they learned ladies' night meant no cover charge, so they went in and found a table. Beth volunteered to run to the bar to get their drinks, hoping to discover where her boyfriend was.

Merle was tending bar. Beth waved him over. "What are you doin' here, sweet thing?" Merle drawled at her.

Beth smiled genuinely at the older Dixon. He might be rough around the edges, and regularly bartended and bounced at one of the more notorious night clubs in Atlanta, but he had always been kind to her since she had started dating his younger brother. "Ladies' night. Me and my friends are having a girls' night out. I thought Daryl was working tonight, have you seen him?"

Merle smirked back at her, "Oh, I've seen him around here somewhere. I'm sure he'll turn up. What can I get you ladies to drink? On the house."

"Really? Thank you, Merle!" she flashed her best smile at the older man. She placed her order and sat at the bar to wait as Merle mixed their drinks.

Over the loud speaker, a man announced, "Alright ladies, look who just pulled up…it's Harley Mac Man-ass taking the stage. Anyone want a ride?" The opening chords to Line of Blood by Ty Stone began to play. The stage was across the room from the bar, so Beth couldn't get a good look at what was going on, but judging by the crowd's reaction, it was something to see.

Merle placed three glasses, all filled with colorful, fruity liquid, on the counter. "Have fun, sugar. Remember, hands off."

Beth gave him an odd look before thanking him again for the drinks. She maneuvered her hands around the three glasses and carried them carefully back to the table. Maggie and Sasha were engrossed in the display in front of them. Beth thought it was weird that her friends would be so interested in the dancer on stage at a gentleman's club; she looked up and was floored by what she saw.

Before her was a man, facing the back of the stage, clad in tight leather pants with small silver spikes running down the length of each leg, covering chained biker boots; around his waist was a silver studded belt that moved and shimmied with his hips suggestively to the titillating tune. Falling from his broad shoulders, covering his back, was a leather vest with angel wings stitched into the back. The top of his head was wrapped in a black bandana with skull design imprinted on it.

Beth couldn't take her eyes off the display in front of her. The man's hips gyrated to the music, the leather clinging to him just right. He started pivoting around, grinding his pelvis in the air. Her eyes were glued to his pelvis, captivated by the leather-clad bulge. Her eyes roamed up his chiseled abdomen, his strong chest lightly covered in curling hair. His hands were linked behind his head, accentuating the delicious muscles of his upper arms. Beth finally took in the man's face and her jaw dropped. "Oh my god!" was all she could get out.

Dancing in front of her, for all these other women to see, was Daryl.

Daryl heard her voice cut through the music; his eyes snapped toward the source of the sound. Off to his right, sitting at a table with her friends, was Beth, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. He stopped his dancing as he just stared at her, guilt and shame crossing his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the club manager motioning for him to keep going. He grit his teeth, hating how much he needed the money. He slowly began moving to the music again, thankful that the song was halfway over anyway.

His heart sank when Beth walked away, rushing toward the exit. That was it. She was gone. He should have told her from the beginning, should have trusted her with his secret, should have...would have...could have. He resigned himself to calling her tomorrow, begging for her to understand, hoping she'd even give him a chance, hear him out. For the moment, he focused directly ahead of him, ignoring the women lining the stage, waving bills at him, hoping for a closer look at him.

All of a sudden he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. He looked at the hands running up and down his chest and saw they were holding hundred dollar bills. He looked over his shoulder at his manager, who was busy counting a wad of bills and turning to walk back stage. Some help he was. He grabbed at the woman's wrists and wrestled them away from his body. She walked in front of him to block him from the other women's view. He'd know that blonde ponytail anywhere.

"Sorry ladies, he's all mine tonight," she yelled over the music. She turned around to face him and slid the bills into his front pocket, a sly grin curling her mouth. "Dance with me," she directed him, and started swaying her hips against his, grabbing the flaps of his vest and pulling him toward her. She looked up at him, raising her eyebrows mischievously and biting her bottom lip, egging him on.

He regarded her for a long second before a smile quirked his lips and he started grinding back against her. They moved together like a scene from Dirty Dancing, and the crowd cheered the couple on. When the song had finally ended, he spun her around, dipped her deeply, supporting her in the cradle of his strong arms, and kissed her, earning more applause from the throng of women. Daryl pulled her back upright, steadied her, grabbed her hand, and pulled her off the stage to the hallway outside the dressing room.

"What the hell you doin' here, Beth?" Daryl demanded. He was glad she hadn't left, but was more than embarrassed that she now knew what his big secret was.

Beth's face fell at his tone. She looked up at him innocently, "I told you it was girls' night. Zombie kinda sucked, we saw the sign out front and decided to try our luck here. You said you were working, I assumed you were bouncing. Why would you lie to me?"

"I didn't lie. I told you I had to work," he lost the edginess to his tone, replacing it with one of regret and shame. "I...I didn't want you to know I...uh...did this, too."

Beth was quiet a moment, thinking through the situation, putting herself in his shoes. She'd probably be equally as embarrassed as he was acting, but she'd like to think she'd be up front with him if their roles were reversed. "Daryl, it's okay. It's quite a surprise, but it's okay." Daryl shook his head and looked at the floor. She put a hand on either side of his face, "Daryl, look at me." She waited until he did as she asked before continuing, "I meant what I said. I love you. I don't care that this is part of your life. Well, I care, but I would never judge you for it. You're...you're really good at this, actually," she said with a blush. "Can I ask you two things?"

Daryl cringed. Here it comes. "Yeah...?"

"Is it rude to ask for my money back? That is half a month's rent sitting in your pocket. I really just didn't want those women pawing over you in front of me."

Daryl chuckled and shook his head, taking the money out of his pants and holding it out to her. "I oughta make you split it with me. What's the second thing?"

Beth grew quiet as she thought her words out carefully. "I know there's a "hands off" rule here." Daryl gave her a surprised look. "Merle warned me at the bar. And I trust you, even with all these women around you. And I get why you don't want to go dancing in public, but...will you dance for me? Just me?" She saw Daryl struggling to answer her. "Not all the time, not after you've...erm...done a show. Just...sometime?" She reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his lips then whispered against them, "I'll make it worth your while," she hinted in a sultry voice.

Daryl wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up against him. He kissed her again, then pulled back and searched her eyes, "So...you're okay with all this?"

Beth nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck tighter than before. "Daryl, I love you, not what you do. This is just one little part of you. I love the whole thing, every part of you, even the stuff you may not be proud of."

"I love you, too, Beth. More than you'll know."


	6. Hands On

**Hands On – AU – Sequel to Hands Off**

**Ya know what, I'm just not gonna write any more one-shots. At least I'm not going to call them one-shots anymore. Any time I do, I get a ton of people almost begging me to continue them. And then I start thinking...and figuring out ways to continue them. Which is wonderful, but I feel like the world's biggest yutz for saying, "Here's another one-shot...no wait, it's a two-shot...oh hell, let's just make another story, cause why not?" It's gratifying and frustrating all rolled into one.**

**Don't get me wrong, I love all of my followers dearly. It is incredibly humbling to see my babies (my stories) have so many people favoriting and following them – and to have a growing number of people following me as an author – added to that, your glowing reviews make me beyond ecstatic. I've literally teared up after reading some of them, and in a good way. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for your amazing support. **

**Sigh...and now...I present to you the sequel/2****nd**** chapter to Hands Off – Hands On.**

In her wildest dreams, Beth never would have guessed that her big, bad, bouncer boyfriend had been moonlighting as a dancer for Ladies' Night at Atlanta Men's Club. He always kept to himself, only gradually opening up to her about anything even remotely personal. For the week or so after Beth had had her girls' night out with Maggie and Sasha, she had hardly heard from Daryl, save for the occasional text or voice mail. She knew him well enough to know that he just needed his space for a while, and she didn't want to push him. He'd said he loved her, and that was enough. Beth knew he was embarrassed, and would need time to work through his insecurities.

Finally he had called her, asking her to dinner. The restaurant wasn't _Chez Wallette*_ but it was nice. The kind of place where reservations weren't necessary, but you felt special when you made them. Beth had worn a floral sundress with cute strappy sandals; Daryl looked amazing, wearing dress slacks, a long sleeved white button down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and a deep blue vest and tie that set off his eyes, making them more striking than even before.

The maître d' seated them at a cozy table in the main room. Off to the side were a piano player and a singer providing live entertainment. Daryl held out her chair as Beth sat down, scooting her chair in for her before taking his own seat. "Daryl, this is so romantic!" Beth whispered excitedly. "What's the occasion?" she asked as she opened her menu.

Daryl looked down, almost ashamedly, pretending to read his own menu. "I...uh...I wanted to apologize."

Beth frowned slightly, shaking her head, "Apologize? For what?"

Daryl took a deep breath in and puffed it out before looking up at her. "For avoiding you all this time. I hated being away from you, but I figured you wanted time to..." he sighed, preparing himself for the worst, "to make sure you still wanted me." He cast his eyes back downward, not able to keep eye contact with her any longer. He had given her an out, and was waiting for her to take it.

Beth calmly folded her menu and set it on the table. She reached across the small table and cupped the back of his hand, stroked her thumb over his then took the menu out of his hands. She slid her hands in both of his and waited until he met her eyes again. "Daryl," she said softly, "I love you. Your dancing is one tiny part of you, it isn't all of you. I would never judge you for it because I know that beyond all that, you are a wonderful, caring man, not just some piece of meat. I'm not going anywhere...unless you don't want me anymore." She felt her hands turn cold at the thought; his hands tightened over hers.

"I think I already knew all that, just needed to hear it. You might have to keep reminding me sometimes," he rubbed his thumbs across the back of her hands.

"Any time you need," she said softly, squeezing his hands. "Just...don't push me away for a week beforehand, okay?" she smiled at him, and was grateful to see him grin back at her.

They reluctantly pulled their hands apart and returned their attention to their menus. The waiter came to take their order and the couple went back to holding hands on top of the table. The piano player started playing a new song which Beth recognized but couldn't place. Daryl tugged at her hand and nodded toward the small dance floor. "C'mon. Dance with me," he murmured as he gently pulled her from her chair. They were in the very center of the dance floor; he took her right hand in his left, holding it over his heart. His right hand rested on her hip, his long fingers wrapping around to reach the small of her back, while her left hand wrapped around his neck, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He pulled her close; Beth could feel herself molding to the hard lines of his body. She rested her head against his chest and he bent his head low to be near to her. They began swaying as the singer began:

_Dancing in the dark, middle of the night_

_Taking your heart and holding it tight_

_Emotional touch, touching my skin_

_And asking you to do what you've been doing all over again_

_Oh, it's a beautiful thing, don't think I can keep it all in_

_I just gotta let you know what it is that won't let me go_

_It's your love, it just does something to me_

_It sends a shock right through me, I can't get enough_

_And if you wonder about the spell I'm under_

_Oh, it's your love._

_Better than I was, more than I am_

_And all of this happened by taking your hand_

_And who I am now is who I wanted to be_

_And now that we're together I'm stronger than ever_

_I'm happy and free._

_Oh, it's a beautiful thing, don't think I can keep it all in_

_And if you asked me why I've changed, all I gotta do is say your sweet name._

_It's your love, it just does something to me_

_It sends a shock right through me, I can't get enough_

_And if you wonder about the spell I'm under_

_Oh, it's your love._

The song ended, and there was a smattering of applause from the other customers seated around the dance floor. Beth blushed and hid her face against Daryl's chest, while he simply nodded and walked them back to their table. He helped Beth into her seat again before returning to his own chair.

The rest of their dinner date went as smoothly as Daryl had hoped, with seemingly unending conversation, delicious entrees, and a shared dessert – a fat slice of peach pie a la mode.

On the drive home, a question that had been bothering Daryl sprang to the forefront of his mind and wouldn't be ignored. "Beth, can I ask you something...about...that night?"

"Of course."

"Why'd you leave at first? And what made you come back?"

Beth looked at him confusedly. "Why'd I leave? I never left."

Daryl nodded at her, "I saw you. You were headed right for the exit."

Beth was quiet another minute, retracing her steps. "Daryl, I didn't...OH! Oh, I didn't leave," she giggled, "I had to stop by the ATM. You think I carry cash like that on me all the time?"

Daryl looked over at her incredulously, then let out a loud laugh. The sound of him so happy, almost relieved, and the look on his face had Beth's heart doing flip flops in her ribcage. When he had found composure she asked, "Can I ask _you_ a question about that night?"

Daryl cringed a little and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "Do I have to answer?"

Beth thought for a moment, "No...but I'd like it if you did."

"Alright," Daryl sighed, "let's hear it."

"Why the vest?"

Daryl looked at her, the returned his eyes to the road. "What do you mean? It's part of my costume."

Beth nodded, "Yeah, I figured that part out," she said sarcastically. "But...well, when I've seen...places like that...in the movies or whatever, the guys usually have a shirt or a jacket and sometimes a vest...but they always...end up taking it off. You left yours on. Why? We could see everything anyway."

"Not everything," Daryl mumbled.

Beth got quiet and thought. That night, his vest had been wide open, leaving nothing to the imagination as far as his chest and abs and his glorious arms. What did the vest cover...? "Your back?" she guessed. She saw Daryl's jaw clench tightly. "What's wrong with your back?"

Daryl sighed heavily again. "Let's just say I didn't have the best childhood, and that I've got a lot of reminders back there to prove it."

Beth laid a gentle hand on his arm. "Will you tell me about it?" she asked softly.

They rode in silence for several minutes. Beth figured she had gotten her answer when Daryl didn't say anything. Suddenly, he spoke up, his voice low and gravelly, as if digging up memories from somewhere deep. "My dad was an abusive asshole. When the mood struck him, which was pretty often, he'd beat the hell out of me, courtesy of his belt. Beat me till I bled, beat me more if I cried, then left me there to find his next fix or his next bottle."

"Oh...Daryl...I..." Beth began before he cut her off.

"I don't need your pity, alright," he barked at her.

Beth shook her head, "Daryl, no. I know you don't. I just...I wish I could have been there to take care of you. What about your mom? Or Merle?"

"Mom died when I was little. Passed out with a cigarette in her mouth and burnt our whole damn house down. Merle lit out as soon as he could, left me with dear ol' dad. I finally got out when I was 16. Ain't needed anyone to take care of me, either. I never depended on anyone for anything." The words tumbled out of his mouth quickly; much like you would rip off a Band-Aid so it wouldn't hurt as much, even though it still hurt like hell to do so anyway.

Beth rubbed her thumb along his arm, thinking over everything Daryl had just told her. She knew it wasn't easy for him to open up about anything; the fact that he'd just bared his soul to her, his terrible past, made her heart melt for him. "Thank you for telling me. I know that was hard." Daryl only shrugged in response. "It's all in the past though, Daryl. That's part of you, but it's not who you are. You got out, you changed, and became a wonderful man. A man I am head over heels in love with." She caught sight of the corner of his lips curling into a small smile. He reached out and held her hand, lacing his fingers between hers. They sat in silence, enjoying each other's company the rest of the ride home.

All too soon, they arrived at her apartment; Daryl walked her to her front door, hand in hand. She asked if he wanted to come inside. She could see a war raging through his mind before he declined. "I don't think that's a good idea. It's not that I don't want to, cause I really do. I just...I don't want to rush this. I ain't been in many relationships, 'specially any that've lasted this long. I don't wanna fu...mess this up. I'll call you tomorrow?"

She giggled a little. Was he asking permission to call her? "I'd really like that. Thank you for tonight, Daryl. It was wonderful. Every second of it." She reached up on her tip toes to press her lips to his. Their kiss turned into something truly passionate, each of them pouring all their emotions into this one kiss. It seemed to stretch on for minutes, hours. She could easily lose herself in this man's arms, under his lips, against his body. When they finally separated, she was breathless and weak-kneed, and absolutely full of smiles. She shakily unlocked then opened her door and stepped inside. They kissed once more before bidding each other goodnight.

A few months passed as their relationship had gotten more and more serious. Daryl still insisted on taking things almost painfully slow. It seemed to Beth that despite working at a strip club, he was really quite shy and reserved when it came to anything physical. Any time they had been making out and would get close to crossing that line, he would be the one to put on the brakes, usually right about the time she tried to pull his shirt off. It was frustrating as all hell, but Beth loved him all the more for it, knowing the reasons behind his actions, and tried her best to be understanding and supportive, to relieve his insecurities. She felt absolutely no pressure from him, and she wouldn't push him any further than he wanted to go. She knew they loved each other very much, and would eventually come to that point when they were both ready for it.

Beth had been dropping hints about her birthday coming up all month. Daryl had promised her he had it all planned out and wouldn't give her any more hint than that. No matter how crafty Beth thought her questions were, how incessantly she asked, he remained extremely tight lipped about the whole thing. The only clue she got out of him was that it wouldn't be on her actual birthday; he knew her family always took her out on the day, and he wasn't about to be the one to mess up that tradition.

The Saturday before her birthday, Daryl had called, checking for the millionth time that she didn't have any plans with her friends that night, and told her he was going to stop by the gym before coming to her apartment for her big birthday surprise.

When he finally arrived, dressed in his usual faded jeans and black t-shirt, he had his duffle bag hanging off one shoulder, and his arms filled with grocery bags. Apparently, step one of her birthday night was that he was going to cook dinner for her. He opened a bottle of wine and poured her a glass, then set to work preparing her birthday meal.

She giggled at the sounds coming from her kitchen; pots and pans clanging as Daryl rifled through her cabinets, muttered curse words when he apparently grabbed something hot, and rattling dishes as he plated the food. He brought the plates out to the kitchen table and invited her to join him, holding her chair out for her as he had done at the restaurant. Daryl had made spaghetti with meatballs, Caesar salad, and warm garlic bread. Beth wanted to make a comment about them being like Lady and the Tramp, but didn't want him to take it the wrong way, so she bit her tongue and smiled warmly at him.

He looked proud of himself as he refilled their wine glasses. He mentioned something about forgetting one last thing before getting up from the table. Beth looked around and couldn't find anything missing from what was set in front of her – he had even lit two taper candles and placed them in the center of the small dining room table; then she heard soft music playing. She smiled as she realized he had brought his iPod and had set up a playlist of dinner music, complete with Norah Jones, Frank Sinatra, and of course, Dean Martin.

They dined and sipped at their wine, Beth complimenting him on his cooking skills, which he naturally shrugged off. "'S just spaghetti," he mumbled. Beth rolled her eyes, knowing any compliment she offered him would be given the same treatment. She kept trying to keep conversation going, but he was quiet...quiet for even Daryl. Something was on his mind, but she couldn't figure out what it was. He didn't seem to be in a bad mood; she couldn't help but wonder what was up. He almost seemed...nervous?

Once dinner was over, he cleared the table and returned with a single cupcake, topped with a mound of sugary icing, with a birthday candle in the middle. He placed the dessert in front of her and sang "Happy Birthday" to her softly. She closed her eyes to make her wish and blew out the candle. Daryl presented two forks and handed one to Beth. He stabbed into the cupcake and brought his fork to her mouth. She smiled before opening her mouth, letting him feed her. She scooped a bite onto her own fork and went to feed him in return, psyching him out at the last minute and eating the bite herself. She laughed at the face he made, half angry, half amused, then scooped another bite and offered it to him. He regarded her with narrowed eyes for a brief moment first, then opened his mouth and accepted it.

They took turns feeding each other until the cupcake was gone. Daryl served the last bite, most of it nothing more than a pile of icing. Even though Beth had opened her mouth extra wide to get around everything, a dot of icing still ended up on the corner of her lips. Daryl set his fork down on the table and leaned over, taking her chin between his fingers and thumb, kissing and licking at the icing, then moving his lips over hers, sealing his mouth over hers. He licked at her sugary lips and she opened eagerly to him, wanting to taste him as well.

Daryl brought his hands up to frame her face, resting his thumbs along her cheekbones and letting his fingers trail down her neck. He pulled her closer, letting his fingertips thread through her hair. Beth slid her hands over his wrists, arms, shoulders, before meeting behind his neck, holding him close to her. She lightly moaned in disappointment when Daryl dragged himself away, his fingers tracing along her arms, pulling her hands to hold them between them. "Before we get going too far," he murmured, "I've got one more surprise for you. I'm gonna do up dishes for you real quick and get everything ready. Just...sit tight, okay?" He filled her wine glass before heading to back to the kitchen.

Beth readjusted in her chair, excited to finally know what all Daryl had planned. She heard Daryl moving around in the kitchen behind her and waited as patiently as she could, her curiosity starting to get the better of her. She noticed the soft dinner music had stopped, but figured the playlist had just come to an end and didn't think anything else of it.

Suddenly the shrill sound of a loud electric guitar filled the room; Beth recognized it as a rock version of Lollipop. She found it had an edgier sound, and thought it was way sexier than the hip-hop version.

Beth felt Daryl's rough hand from behind her, dragging his fingertips from her shoulder, down her arm, holding her hand gently. He stood before her, dressed in his leather pants and vest, his studded belt glinting in the candle light. He started moving his hips to the beat as the lyrics began.

Beth blushed and giggled nervously when she realized what her real present was – here Daryl was, putting himself out there, just for her. She didn't dare take her eyes off him. Her heart was already racing; she could feel her face growing warm, along with the spot between her thighs.

He grinned down at her sexily, leaning back slightly, pushing his pelvis closer to her, swiveling his hips to the music. He still stood at arm's length from her; he rolled his hips, turning himself in a slow circle. Once he was facing her again, he dropped to his knees, arching his back in one smooth motion, his legs spread wide, his pelvis almost touching the floor. His face was between her knees; he slithered his way over her body, pushing and lifting himself up onto her chair with his arms, surrounding her, covering her with his body. She could feel his warm breath ghosting over her through her clothes, only adding to her already rising temperature. When he reached her neck, he attached his mouth to her, teasing her, tempting her, letting his teeth rake against her sensitive flesh. He stood up, leaving her wanting more, and ran his hands up and down his body. He moved forward until he was straddling her lap and reached down to take her hands and bring them to rest on his hips. Beth was about to ask about the 'hands off' rule, but the look in Daryl's eyes said the rule was most definitely not in play tonight.

Daryl kept his hands on her wrists and guided her hands up and over his stomach, up to his chest, allowing her to part the front panels of his vest. He rolled his body, arching his back as he released her hands, allowing her to explore the muscles rippling beneath his warm skin; his hands met behind his neck, flexing his arm muscles. He leaned over her, bracing his arms on either side of her on the back of her chair, then started grinding his hips toward her; she ran her hands through his coarse chest hair, teasing his nipples, then trailed her fingers along his delicious abs. Beth let her head fall back as he leaned close to her. He bent his head to kiss her, to lick along the column of her neck, nipping and sucking at her tender flesh.

He pulled back, taking her hands in his again, and brought them to his belt buckle. She grinned naughtily as she set to work undoing the buckle. He held her hands on the buckle as he started to back away; Beth took the hint, holding on to the belt, effectively removing it. He came back to straddling her lap and ran his hands over his chest and stomach, rolling his body toward her, then tucked his thumbs into his pants and popped open the button. Daryl pulled her hands to his body again, directing them around his waist, over his hips to cup his ass as he ground closer to her. He lowered himself so he was almost sitting on her lap, never breaking eye contact, always moving his hips against her. He kissed her fiercely, still grinding against her, then pulled back from her, always teasing her senses. He kept her hands on him, letting them follow along his waist, steering them toward the zipper of his leather pants.

She looked up at him with wide eyes and licked her lips slowly as her fingers worked to unzip his fly. When she pressed a kiss to his stomach, he gently placed his hand on the back of her head, holding her still as he danced against her. Beth's lips parted, her tongue licking and teasing the skin around his navel. Daryl lowered himself to kneel on the floor, causing her tongue to trail all the way up his torso before darting into his mouth for a searing kiss. She worked her hands under the leather vest, pushing the garment over his shoulders; Daryl let it fall to the floor, exposing his back, though still not letting her see the mess of scars he was hiding. He pulled away and kissed a path down her jaw, her neck, her collar bone. Although she was still fully clothed, he kissed over her breasts and continued down until he was kissing her lower stomach. He reached down and pulled her legs so they were wrapped around his hips. He held onto the back of the chair, raising himself to meet her, and thrust against her, then slid his hands down her arms and wrapped them around his neck. He kissed her again as he ground into her again. "Don't let go," he instructed, and easily picked her up in his arms.

Daryl kept his hands on her ass, supporting her weight with his arms and with her legs wrapped around him. He pushed his hips up to meet hers, bouncing her on his pelvis as he carried her into the living room and onto the couch and laid her down gently. Beth had never felt more wanton, more sexy, more alive, than when she was in his arms, pressed against him as she was now. He lowered himself onto her, grinding against her again, letting some of his weight sink them both into the soft cushions of her couch. He wrapped his arms around her, one resting behind her shoulders, the other, her lower back. He kissed her deeply, tasting the sweetness of her mouth.

"Are you...are you okay?" Daryl asked, a little breathless. Beth looked up at him and understood the meaning of his words. He was giving her an out; they had never gone this far physically, not even close. Beth only nodded her head and pulled him down for another kiss, letting her hands slide over his shoulders, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, before trailing over the skin stretched over his shoulder blades. She felt him tense up at the contact, but she held him fast.

"Daryl, it's okay. It's just me and you. I just want to feel you, all of you, against me. Please," she asked him, "please don't pull away now."

Daryl had closed his eyes, fighting the urge to shove himself off her. Instead, he slowly opened his eyes and focused on her, on her goodness, the look of longing on her face, on how good she felt beneath him, with her legs wrapped around him. He'd be a damn fool if he left her now; he'd never be worthy to be anywhere near her if he stopped all this now. "You sure?"

Beth tightened her legs around him, grinding herself against him this time. "I am most definitely sure. Please, Daryl. I need you. I want you, more than I've ever wanted anything."

Daryl blinked slowly, before moving his hands to either side of her waist. His fingers and lips felt like they were trailing fire against her skin as he moved from the waistband of her jeans upward, removing her shirt as he explored her body with his mouth, kissing over her flat stomach, fingers teasing along her rib cage, licking between her breasts. He pulled her shirt over her head, exposing her fully to him; only her lacy white bra concealing her ample breasts from him. He reached behind her and quickly unclasped her bra, then did away with the hindering garment. Daryl paused a moment to take in the sight of her, and Beth was surprised at how comfortable she felt with his eyes roaming over her.

Daryl lowered himself onto her, running his open mouth over her creamy skin, nipping at her here and there as he traced over her neck, her collarbone, into the valley between her breasts. His hand came up to cup her breast, massaging her, then took her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and lightly pinched it, teasing it into a stiff peak. She gasped sharply at the sensation.

It had been so long since she had been touched like this, and realized she had never had anyone who made her feel like this, so womanly and alive. She'd had sex once before, a fumbling experience with her ex-boyfriend Jimmy, but there was no comparison to what she was feeling now. The things Daryl was doing with his body, his hands, his mouth had her feeling heady and exhilarated; it felt completely natural, while at the same time reckless.

She was brought back from her thoughts by Daryl's tongue making his way down her abdomen, teasing around her belly button then dragging back up to wrap his lips around her already taut nipple, sucking her into his mouth with relentless pressure, causing her to cry out. His head snapped up, checking her, making sure she was still okay. She threaded her fingers through the hair on the back of his head and brought him up for a vigorous kiss, then breathed against his lips, "It's okay. Please...please don't stop." He smiled against her and attached himself again to her breast, pulling her nipple between his lips, tantalizing her, using his teeth and tongue, eliciting a soft groan from her sweet mouth. He repeated his technique on her other breast, not stopping until she was moaning deliciously beneath him.

Beth felt him kiss his way back up her chest, teasing the pulse point on her neck. Instead of kissing her again, he made his way to her ear, sucking and gently biting on her ear lobe before murmuring wickedly, "God, I want you so bad," as he thrust his hips against her. She could feel his hardness against her thigh, sending sparks of electricity shooting through her system. She could only moan in response, then pushed her hips against his, pulling her knees higher, allowing him to sink further into the cradle of her hips. She pushed against him again, silently telling him she wanted this, too, wanted him, just as much as he wanted her.

Her hands came up to his chest, relishing in the feel of him beneath her fingers, and pushed gently against him. He followed her tender, silent instruction and rested back on his haunches. She sat up with him, kissing along his chest, pausing to flick her tongue against his nipples. She ran her hands all over him, delighting in the feel of his hard muscles. She ventured around his rib cage, skating along his sides. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, to pull him close, but knew reaching around his back would only bring out his insecurities and kill the mood. Instead, her fingers traveled lower, toward his hips, curling under the waistband of his leather pants and underwear. Then Beth looked up at him from under her eyelashes. Daryl kissed her before getting off the couch; she instantly felt the loss of his body heat against her.

Beth watched as Daryl stripped the rest of his clothes off his body. Fighting any shyness threatening to stop her, she reached out and wrapped her fingers around him, bringing him closer to her. She dipped her head slowly, opening her mouth and tasting the head of his cock. She smiled inwardly as she heard his sharp intake of air, hissing at the sensations she was causing in him. She pulled back and looked up at him, waiting until he met her gaze before lapping at him with her tongue again. The look that crossed his face sent chills down her spine; it was a look of pure lust, almost animalistic, primal.

He pushed on her shoulders, pressing her back into the couch, and unbuttoned her pants. She raised her hips, urging him on, as he unzipped her fly and eased her pants and panties over her legs and tossed them to the floor. He knelt between her legs and brought his hand to play along her stomach, drifting lower...lower. She gasped loudly as he slid one finger between her silken folds and played against her clit. She felt a rush of heat at the sudden pressure between her legs, a soft "oh," escaping her lips as she whimpered for more. He circled her clit, tracing sinful patterns against the sensitive nub then slid his finger lower. He inserted his finger into her pussy, already dripping wet with want for him. He added a second finger, filling her, readying her. Beth ground her hips against his hand, bucking when his thumb grazed over her clit and his fingers curled to find her g-spot. The sensations coursing through her were incredible, but not enough to satisfy her. She gripped his arms in desperation and pleaded, "Daryl...please...God, please."

He withdrew his hand and positioned himself between her legs, against her sex. His eyes met hers again, wordlessly asking one last time for permission. Her hand shot out and wrapped around his neck, pulling him in for a hard kiss. He took her cue and slid into her, making them both groan as he filled her, burying himself to the hilt. She felt herself stretching to accommodate him, experiencing a slight burn as she yielded to his size. Any pain she felt soon gave way to intense pleasure as he started moving within her, rocking her body with his. He held tightly to her hip with one hand, surely leaving bruises, but she found she didn't care in the least. His other arm rested alongside her head, curling under her neck, bringing them intimately close. She moaned at the wonders his body was causing.

Every thrust sent tingles through her body as he filled her over and over again. He pushed her further up the couch, toward the arm rest, until she was partially curled against it. Her neck was curved awkwardly, but the new angle at which he was driving into her produced such wild sensations, bringing her closer to the edge, she found she didn't care about the discomfort. He reached above her and held on to the arm rest, giving him more leverage, allowing him to plunge deeper into her. She tightened her legs around her waist as she felt herself spiral out of control. Her moans turned into grunts as he drove into her, until she found her release and let out a loud, long cry, her voice rising in pitch as it went on. Her fingers dug into the flesh of his shoulders as he continued pounding into her, letting her ride out her orgasm, which seemed to never end. He pulled out of her. A second later she felt his hot, sticky cum splash against her belly.

She fought to catch her breath, panting hard as a breathy, "Oh my god...oh my god..." became her mantra. She pulled him down for a passionate kiss, pouring her heart and all of her love for him into it. She was still breathless when she ended the kiss, and whispered out, "I love you...I love you so much."

Daryl smiled and softly chuckled. "I love you too, Beth. Happy Birthday."

*******_Chez Wallete_**** is not a real restaurant. It's just my little phrase for a super expensive restaurant.**

**The song they danced to was "It's Your Love," written by Stephony Smith, produced by Byron Gallimore & James Stroud, performed by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.**

**Daryl danced to "Lollipop" by Framing Hanley. I know Lil Wayne did it first, but there's something about the rock version that is just...yummy. Go ahead and YouTube it or something. You'll see.**

**Please forgive me for the lap dance. I've never experienced one first hand, so I was going off, shall we say, research on YouTube. **

**Whew! Hope you enjoyed it. Review and let me know w**


	7. Kiss of Death

**Kiss of Death – One Shot**

He found her. He knew he had. He hadn't seen her yet, but he'd found her. There couldn't be any other explanation.

Having her ripped away from him that night had almost killed him. He knew he'd let her down, had disappointed her, just like his father and brother had beat into his brain. He was a screw up, couldn't do anything right. He'd just proved them right once again.

No. He'd fought back. He'd chased her as far as his legs could carry him. Even when he was with Joe's group, he'd been chasing her. He was chasing her in his dreams, in every waking thought, with every breath and with every beat of his heart. He'd chase after her until he found her.

When he had found Rick again and told him what had happened, he was chasing her in his memories, remembering every glance she had thrown his way, every smile that stopped his heart.

Even imprisoned in Terminus, he was fighting his way out only to have the chance at chasing her again until he found her.

And now he had. He'd seen the same damn car that had stolen her from him. He was bound and determined not to let it escape him again. He didn't have a choice.

The car he had borrowed, stole, commandeered, whatever they wanted to call it, was gassed up, keys in the ignition, as if it had been waiting just for him. Just so he could keep chasing her. He'd chase her all over God's green earth if he had to.

Daryl followed where the car had gone, down the winding highway until turning off onto an old country road. A cloud of dirt showed him exactly which way to go. He squinted his eyes, peering through the swirl of dust until an old farm house loomed in front of him, forcing him to slam on the brakes, the car swerving from one side of the road to the other before finally stopping directly behind the car with the cross on the rear window.

Daryl grabbed the gun from the passenger seat, shoved the car door open and bolted into the house, not caring what he found on the other side of the door as long as he found her. He'd been chasing her for weeks, now that all ended.

His eyes scanned the room quickly, and found the other driver retreating to one of the back rooms. As he turned the doorknob to the room, Daryl caught him by the shoulder and threw a punch right across his head. The man spun on the spot from the impact and landed on the floor in a heap, completely knocked out cold. He was ready to reach down, to shake the man back into consciousness, to find out where Beth was, when he heard her gasp from behind him.

Daryl froze in his place. He didn't dare turn around. Even after chasing her for so long, he was afraid he'd turn around and she wouldn't be there – just like what had happened since that night. He always thought she'd be right behind him. He'd turn around to talk to her, to just look at her, and she'd be gone.

Then he felt her arms around him, just like she had that day so long ago, when she'd reached out to him and wrapped him with her love. He felt her cheek press against his shoulder blade. He couldn't stand it anymore.

He slowly turned in her arms, not breaking contact with her for a second. She was there...here...with him, next to him, in front of him. The only thing he could manage to do was breathe her in. He released a shaking breath, only just managing to whisper, "Beth."

The chase was over. He realized after the miles he'd run searching for her, he was aching, starving, parched for her and only her.

His arms slid around her, entrapping her into his chest, into his heart, into his soul. He was never letting her go, not even for a moment, never again.

He tenderly caressed her cheek, sliding his thumbs tenderly over her cheekbones. He slowly lowered his lips to hers, tasting her for the first time, savoring her like a fine wine.

He increased the pressure against her mouth, pressing himself into her. She opened her mouth, inviting him in. He drank her in, his tongue cherishing her sweetness.

His heart had completely stopped. He was sure he was dying and had already made it to heaven.

He hated pulling away from her. His mouth rained kiss after kiss against her perfect lips.

Daryl knew the words he wanted to say. His heart was screaming them; they were echoing in his mind. Something in him, call it pride, call it fear, call it insecurity, but something stopped them before they crossed his lips. The best he could do was look in her eyes, as he had done that night in the funeral home, and hoping she'd understand.

Beth's eyes fluttered open and met his piercing gaze. She met his stare, never faltering, always understanding.

She smiled up at him, her face full of love. "I know, Daryl. I know. Me, too. Always."


	8. Numb

**Numb – Bethyl Prompt – Numb/She is the Sunlight by Trading Yesterdays**

He was pissed when he found out they had left his brother to die up on the roof. Pissed at them for doing it and pissed at Merle for being the ass that he is. Pissed when he found the dismembered hand instead of his brother. Pissed that he hadn't been there.

But then he realized his brother had made his own choice...and he felt numb.

He was frustrated. Frustrated that Rick had left the little girl to fend for herself. Frustrated that the others had given up so easily. Frustrated that he'd spent day after day in those woods searching for her with nothing to show for it. Frustrated that even her own mother had lost hope in finding her. Frustrated that she'd been there under their noses the whole time.

Then he walked Carol away from the barn...and he felt numb.

He felt hopeful. Hopeful that the prison would be somewhere they could stay for a good long while. Hopeful that the fences would keep the walkers out. Hopeful that they could find some sense of normalcy in these cement walls. Hopeful that his new family could live, even thrive, here in their new home. Hopeful that despite the fact that death literally surrounded them at every corner, he could start a new life here, as a leader, a friend, a brother.

Then the Governor robbed them of it all...and he felt numb.

He felt numb as he looked at the tiny blonde girl who'd been separated from the group. Numb as they ran together through fields to escape the chaos behind them. Numb as she fought him and egged him on to have faith, to hold on to hope, to do something. Numb as she left him eating the charred snake as she went to find her damn drink. Numb as she wrestled with a walker then turned to him accusingly.

Then she shined her light on him. She used her smile and her words and her sweet voice as tools to tear down the walls he had built around his heart. Each minute in her presence was like standing in warm sunshine, thawing his hardened heart.

He was pissed when she called him out about not giving a crap about anything. Pissed that she could think he didn't give a damn. Pissed that she said he was afraid.

He was frustrated that he couldn't do more to save his family. Frustrated at being stuck in one shitty situation after another. Frustrated that he didn't know what to do next.

She wrapped her arms around him, and under her control, he'd never felt more free. Despite his chest being surrounded by her, he could finally breathe.

And along with his tears, he shed it all. All the hurt, the pain, the confusion, the frustration, the apathy. He left it all behind him.

He was hopeful. Hopeful that she would always be there with him, to understand him, to keep him going, to support him. Hopeful that she would never realize he wasn't good enough for her, that she'd never leave him, that he'd always have her in his life. Hopeful that they could stay together, stay safe, stay as happy as he was now.

And then he saw the car pulling away with her in it.

He was pissed – at himself, at the walkers, at the driver of the car.

He was frustrated – with himself, with the miles between them, with the fact that he couldn't be there to protect her.

He was numb.

He fell in with Joe, but was numb to their games, their rules, their expectations.

He found Rick, but was numb to what should have been at least a somewhat joyous reunion.

He found himself imprisoned in Terminus. For a moment he was pissed that they'd outsmarted him. For a moment he was frustrated that he was once again in a situation beyond his control. For a moment he was hopeful as his family worked together to escape.

Then he was numb. Numb in the darkness of his mind. Numb to the hope tomorrow should bring, always stuck in today, because she wasn't there with him. Numb to the gradually warming weather, because the only sun he yearned for was her. Numb to the heartache that consumed him as his heart fought to love her even when she was gone. Numb as his heart returned to its frozen state.

Numb to the pain of chasing her again. Numb to the cuts and bruises he had endured trying to get to her. Numb to the worry that he wouldn't be able to reach her, because that couldn't be an option.

And then he finally found her.

When he found her, as he ran to her, as he finally held her close, as he made sure she was safe, and well, and just as perfect as he'd remembered...

He felt her healing. He felt her sunlight.

He felt her love.


	9. Sweet

**Bethyllovenotes Prompt – Sweet**

It was an unusually mild day in the middle of a Georgia summer. Daryl decided to mow the lawn while the weather was having mercy on him. He finished his last lap around the yard and stowed the mower in the shed, then made his way into the cool of the house. Even though the humidity was decently low and the temperature matched, he was drenched in sweat and panting to catch his breath. He collapsed onto a chair at the kitchen table, rested his elbows on the smooth wood and hung his head, trying to relax a little.

Beth had been working in the kitchen, already getting started on dinner for the two of them. She filled a tall glass with ice cubes and poured some freshly brewed tea. She placed the glass on a coaster in front of him and sat down next to him. "The yard looks really nice, baby. Thank you."

Daryl shrugged; he still hadn't fully caught his breath yet. "'S no big deal."

"But it is a big deal," Beth argued. "It means a lot to me that you did that without me asking you." She reached over placed her hand on top of his. "You need to get some liquid in you. Drink up."

Daryl smirked at her and grabbed the glass. He took a sip and smacked his lips, "Damn, baby...that is some sweet tea."

Beth smiled, "Just like mama used to make. I won't tell you just how much sugar went into that glass alone. I know it's terrible for you, but I love it." Daryl took another long drink and let out a long, satisfied sigh. "Isn't it just the sweetest thing you've ever tasted?"

Daryl cast Beth a sidelong look, the corners of his lips curling up into a wicked smile. "Oh, I can think of something sweeter."

"Why, Daryl Dixon," Beth mockingly chided, "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

Daryl reached over and combed his fingers through her hair and dragged her lips to meet his. He kissed her long and hard, sliding his tongue between her lips. He pulled back, only just enough to murmur, "I tell you what, I'm gonna take a shower, but then I'mma take you in the bedroom and show you just what I mean."

"Oh really?" Beth asked coyly. "Mind if I just...join you in the shower?"

Daryl narrowed his eyes at her, finished his glass of tea, set it down on the coaster and kissed her again. "Race you there."


	10. Warm

**Bethyllovenotes Prompt – Warm**

"Beth! Beth! Come on, girl, wake up!" Daryl shouted frantically. He was this close to trying to slap her to get her to come to, like he'd seen in the movies. He was reluctant to start trying CPR on her, not really knowing what he was doing, but if it came down to it, he'd do anything to try and save her.

The hunting trip had been going just fine, Beth taking the lead following some deer tracks. She'd been learning from Daryl the past couple weeks and had made great strides in improving, even able to hit most targets with the crossbow. Then she'd turned back to say something to him at the top of a ravine and lost her footing. Time seemed to slow down as he stood, dumbfounded, watching her tumble down, down, down, until splashing into the river below. He finally set into motion when her seemingly lifeless body started drifting down with the current.

He called after her, hoping she could hear him, trying to let her know he was on his way to helping her, to keep her with him. Daryl dove into the icy cold water, ignoring the chills and shock to his system, and swam hard downstream. After what seemed a short eternity, he could finally reach out and grab her, pulling her to him, and changed course to head to the bank of the river.

She wasn't moving, wasn't even responding. Daryl was in a panic, not sure what to do. Thankfully, she started coughing as he had just barely started chest compressions, or at least imitating the closest he could get to copying what he'd seen on TV years and years ago. Beth spluttered, coughing up a lungful of water, and gasped for breath. She blinked her eyes open, taking in her surroundings.

Daryl's heart rate just barely began to relax as he watched her come around, the color coming back to her cheeks. "Damn, girl, don't scare me like that. You alright?" he demanded.

Beth coughed again before answering with a croaky voice, "Yeah...I think so."

"Can ya move?" he asked, and Beth nodded her response. "Come on, Greene. Let's get you someplace where you can rest up." He offered his hand to her and pulled her up, supporting her weight with his arm around her.

He moved as quickly as he dared, not wanting to push her too hard. The weather was changing, a storm coming in, and the breeze had picked up significantly. Daryl could feel Beth shivering against him, and he hoped they could find some shelter for her soon.

Lo and behold, after close to an hour of searching, they stumbled upon a small cottage. Daryl instructed her to wait outside while he cleared the inside, which didn't take long considering how tiny the structure was. Upon inspection, he didn't find any walkers, but was grateful to find a fireplace and an old couch with a musty blanket draped over the back. He hurried to the front door and signaled the all clear for Beth to join him inside. He immediately set to work starting a fire for her to start drying off, then made sure all the entrances to the cabin were closed, secured and locked.

The fire felt good. If he were to be honest, he was pretty damn cold, too, but he wasn't shaking like a leaf like Beth was. Must be because of how damn skinny she was. He was bigger, it only made sense he could hold in heat better than she could. Besides, he needed to get food in both of them, hot food, and maybe that would help. Daryl searched through the tiny kitchen, scrounging for anything they might be able to eat, especially since their hunting trip had been cut short. Luckily there were a few cans hiding in the cabinets. He rummaged through the drawers until he found a can opener and a couple forks and brought them over to the fire. He opened the cans and set them on the hearth, hoping that a somewhat warm meal would help get some warmth into the tiny blonde.

He sat next to her and felt her shivering next to him, even under the blanket he had draped around her shoulders. He swore he could hear her teeth clacking together. After a few minutes, he tested the cans of food, corn and pork n beans, satisfied that they'd been heated enough to make a difference, and offered her the cans. "Which one ya want?" he asked.

Beth inspected the cans and suggested, "Can we split them, so we both get a veggie and a protein?"

Daryl shook his head and rolled his eyes. Even sitting here, shaking with cold and soaking wet, she was worried about their nutrition. "Sure. Here," he handed her the can of beans and dug into his own can of corn. Once both cans had been emptied, he set them to the side; Beth was still chilled through.

He knew he needed to do something, that he couldn't just let her sit here and freeze to death. He carefully put an arm around her and started rubbing up and down her arm and her back, hoping the friction would build up some heat. "Does that help any?" he asked, his voice weighted with concern.

"It f-feels g-g-good, but I'm still f-f-f-freezing."

Daryl knew what he needed to do. He reached up and took the blanket from off her shoulders. Beth looked at him, startled and confused, her eyes asking him, 'what are you doing?' He answered her silent question, "Best way I know to get someone warmed up. Survival one-oh-one. We're gonna hafta get cozy."

Beth looked at him nervously as he wriggled out of his vest, then his button down shirt. She took a deep breath, realizing what he was doing, and slowly started peeling her shirt up and over her head. She looked startled when Daryl stood up and started undoing his belt and undid the fly of his pants, pushing the wet fabric down his legs. He toed off his boots and stepped out of his pants, leaving his underwear right where they were. This was awkward enough as it was, and Beth was glad for a little modesty. She followed suit, stripping from the waist down, but leaving her panties in place.

Daryl sat back down in front of the fire, covering himself with the blanket, holding one of the edges up for Beth to climb under. "Ain't gonna get warmer standing there, girl. I ain't gonna bite, and we need ta get ya warmed up."

Beth swallowed her nervousness and lowered herself to the floor beside him. She wasn't sure if she should face him or the fire, so she decided to just lie on her back. She hadn't settled for long when she felt Daryl's arm snake across her stomach and pull her into him, effectively spooning her. She gasped at the sudden contact, but didn't fight it; his warmth felt too good to try and wiggle away from it.

"'m sorry..." Daryl sounded genuinely contrite. "skin to skin's the best way to transfer heat."

"It's okay," Beth whispered, not trusting her voice.

Daryl arranged the blanket over the both of them, trapping all the heat he could around them. Beth began to relax against his warm body. She ran her hand along his forearm before wrapping her fingers between his, resting on her stomach. She couldn't get over how right this felt, how much she wanted this to become a regular thing. She knew he'd never go for it; Daryl was a very solitary man. He tolerated her at best out of some sort of guilt, like he felt he owed her father or something. No, this was as close as she'd get to making her crazy little daydreams a reality.

As her body temperature began to rise, Beth relaxed, closer and closer to sleep. Before he knew it, he felt her breath even out as she began to doze. He finally allowed himself to relax as well, fighting all temptation to nuzzle into the perfect space between her neck and her shoulder, to inhale her intoxicating scent. He found himself wanting to hold her like this every night, but what would she want with a dirty old redneck like him? She deserved someone good, someone noble, someone who could take care of her the way she needed. He wasn't that man, as much as he wished he was. He resolved to commit it all to memory: the feeling of her slender body next to his, the feel of her soft skin beneath his palm, the way her heart was beating in time with his.

In the morning, things would be awkward, but they both knew this was necessary. They would get past it, whether by accepting or ignoring it.

What they didn't know is that neither would ever forget that night, the first night they truly spent together.


	11. Good Knight, My Sweet Princess

**I apologize, even before you start reading. Grab a tissue...I needed about five just writing this. Please don't hate me.**

**Good Knight, My Sweet Princess**

"Uncle Daryl?" her voice was clear and bright despite the late hour.

"What, sweetheart?" he asked as he finished tucking her in for the night. It was Rick's turn to stand watch on the North wall, and Daryl had agreed to stay overnight to keep an eye on things.

"Will you tell me a story? The one with the princess?" her tiny voice chirped.

Daryl felt the familiar squeeze around his heart. He should have known that this was coming, but he was never prepared for the empty feeling in his chest, the tears pricking his eyes, or the lump in his throat. Even after these years and miles that had dragged and sped by, it still hurt more than any pain he'd ever known. "Oh, little A...I don't know..."

"Please, Uncle Daryl? It's my very favorite.

Daryl sat on the edge of her bed and rubbed the pads of his fingers against his eyes. He sighed deeply, knowing he was never going to be able to deny the little girl anything she'd ever ask for. "Alright, but you've gotta go to bed right after, okay?"

"Promise," she smiled and snuggled deep under the blankets.

Daryl cleared his throat and began...

_Once upon a time, there was a princess named Beth. She was the most beautiful girl in all the land, and everyone loved her very much. She had hair the color of sunlight, and her eyes shone like sapphires. She was very kind, very gracious to everyone she met, and she sang more beautifully than any bird in the sky._

_ She lived in a kingdom with many other people, who worked together to provide for each other. The kingdom was surrounded by a forest full of monsters, but the people were kept safe by the strong walls surrounding the castle. "Everyone has jobs to do," the princess would say, and while she helped everywhere she could, in cleaning or cooking or taking care of people when they were sick or sad or afraid, and sometimes even taking her turn in manning the walls that surrounded their home to fight the monsters that tried to get in. What Princess Beth did best was love everyone around her._

_ Now, the local sheriff and his wife had just had a baby, a beautiful girl, but the wife got very sick and couldn't take care of the baby. The sheriff was so sad, he wasn't sure he could take care of the baby either. Princess Beth decided to take care of the baby girl as if she were her own daughter. She fed her and kept her safe and warm, and sang every song she knew to keep the baby happy. It was obvious to everyone in the kingdom that Princess Beth loved this girl more than anything._

_ Months passed by and the kingdom lived in peace for the most part. The sheriff and his friend, Sir Dixon, worked very hard to keep the kingdom safe. The little girl grew up, thanks to the princess' love and care. The people lived in peace in the kingdom for a very long time, taking in anyone who sought the safety of the strong castle._

_ One day, an evil ruler from a neighboring kingdom waged war on the princess' kingdom. Even though the sheriff tried to reason with the evil man, and promised that they could all live in the safety of the great fortress of a kingdom, the ruler attacked and the people of the kingdom had to scatter to all corners of their world. _

_ The evil man had brought along with him a fire-breathing dragon, its scales like steel, its breath like cannon fire. Sir Dixon fought valiantly against the dragon, and slayed the foul beast, but the damage had already been done. The kingdom was no longer safe to stay in. Sir Dixon stood staring at the remains of the armored beast, not sure what to do next. Princess Beth found him and told him she couldn't find any of the children she cared so much for, especially the baby she had raised._

_ Sir Dixon knew he needed to protect the princess, and together they escaped the burning kingdom into the wild woods that surrounded it. The princess and Sir Dixon had to be very careful wherever they went to avoid the monsters that were lurking in the shadows. They were both very sad to have lost all their friends, but Princess Beth never gave up hope in finding them. Even when Sir Dixon wanted to give up, Princess Beth pushed him on. She may not have known it, but she had saved Sir Dixon just as Sir Dixon had saved her._

_ Princess Beth decided to try to find a magic potion, something that maybe wouldn't make Sir Dixon and her so sad anymore. Together they found a mystical jar of liquid that smelled like peaches, but Sir Dixon knew that it wasn't nearly good enough for the princess. He led her to a tiny hovel hiding in the middle of the forest, and low and behold, there were several jars of elixir of moonshine. They drank the elixir, but it only ended up making them both sadder, remembering their lives before the evil ruler tore apart their home._

_ Sir Dixon and Princess Beth ended up getting into a terrible argument. Now, no one had ever stood up to Sir Dixon before – most people were afraid of him and would rather just leave him alone, and he liked it that way – but the princess had become very brave since she had been with him, and she stood her ground. She never backed down for a second, no matter what Sir Dixon yelled at her. Finally, Sir Dixon dropped all his armor and showed the princess just how sad he really was. He told her how he thought it was his fault that the kingdom had fallen._

_ Princess Beth held him close, and he instantly felt comforted by her caring for him. After they had calmed down, they spent the rest of the night talking, telling each other secrets from their past, their hopes for the future. Now, no one had ever just listened to Sir Dixon before – most people thought he was only good for fighting and that he didn't worry about things like that – but Princess Beth saw that he was a good man, and made him see it, too._

_ Princess Beth decided to burn down the shack, because now that they had shared so much, she knew it was good to leave it all behind, and their past lives with it. She helped Sir Dixon spread the elixir of moonshine all around and they watched as it caught fire in the dark of night. _

_ And Sir Dixon was beginning to feel truly happy for the first time in his life, all because of the Princess._

_ Over the next several weeks, the two became very good friends. She learned how to hunt and how to fight from him, and she taught him what it was to be a good person, and to have faith that there were still good people in the world. They looked all through the woods for any signs of their friends, and never found anything, but the princess still had faith. One day, while hunting, the princess hurt her foot very badly. Sir Dixon knew he had to find shelter for the both of them, and carried her on his back until they found a cozy cottage on the edge of the woods._

_ This cottage was well looked after, and Sir Dixon wasn't sure it was entirely safe, but they needed a place to stay, so they decided to stay there until Princess Beth's foot was healed. While Sir Dixon was making certain they were secure inside the cottage for the night, the princess began singing a song. It had been so long since Sir Dixon had heard anything so beautiful, that he could only stop and listen to the music she was creating. _

_ Now, while they still lived in the kingdom, Sir Dixon never cared for music – he thought any time the princess would start singing, she was just doing it for fun, and there was never really time for fun; there was always work to do – but that night, he thought it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard...or seen. He found himself staring, as if he were under a spell. He began to feel things he'd never felt before, but he liked what he was feeling, and let his heart guide him rather than his head._

_ Sir Dixon found himself growing happier and happier, and more and more fond of the princess. He knew he was supposed to keep his distance; she was a beautiful princess, and he was an angry knight, more suited for battle than he was anything else. Still, he let himself feel happy. He let himself relax for the first time in a long, long time._

_ The next morning, Sir Dixon wanted to surprise the princess by preparing a breakfast for the two of them. He was so excited to show her what he had done, that he scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the small kitchen and sat her down at the table to eat. They spent the day still talking with each other, getting to know each other even more than they already had. Sir Dixon found his heart growing lighter and lighter the longer he stayed in her presence, and these feelings were so new to him, he wasn't sure what to do with them, so he kept them hidden from her. _

_ Later, that evening, by the light of several candles they had found, Princess Beth, being the kind and gracious princess that she was, decided to write a letter to whoever owned the house, thanking them for the food they had helped themselves to. Sir Dixon told her that she didn't really need to leave a letter, that he wouldn't mind staying in the cottage forever, just him and the princess. Even if the people who lived in the cottage ever returned, he would ask them if they could stay, so he could stay with her in this place that made him feel so happy, this place he shared with her._

_ The princess gave him a beautiful smile as she realized he was starting to believe that there were good people in the world, and asked him what had changed his mind. _

_ Now, Sir Dixon knew what had changed his mind – she was sitting right next to him at the table – but he couldn't seem to bring himself to tell her that. He only mumbled a response, hoping it would be enough, but the princess pressed on. Sir Dixon found that he could only look at the princess, looking so beautiful in the candlelight. The princess seemed to read his mind, and became very quiet. She seemed to realize that Sir Dixon had feelings for her, and he thought that maybe she was beginning to feel the same way toward him. Sadly, before they could say another word to each other, there was a loud noise from outside._

_ Now, Sir Dixon was usually very careful – he always made certain that places were safe before opening any door – but he was so excited and felt so happy with the princess, that he opened the door without checking to make sure it was safe. As soon as he opened the door, a swarm of monsters pushed their way into the cottage. _

_ Sir Dixon led the monsters away from the princess and yelled to tell her to run to the lane leading to the cottage and that he would meet her there once he had slain all the monsters. It only took a few moments for Sir Dixon to distract the monsters and give Princess Beth enough time to escape. When he finally made his way out of the cottage and out to the lane. When he got there he saw the bag she carried, but no sign of the princess._

_ He looked up and saw a strange man dressed in black, riding a black horse, a white cross on the back of the knight's tunic, galloping down the road, leaving a cloud of dust behind him. Sir Dixon could just make out the golden hair of the princess flying in the wind. _

_ Without a second thought, Sir Dixon ran with all his might to try to catch up to the knight who had taken the princess. He called out over and over, hoping she would hear him, hoping they would stop, but the horse only picked up speed. Sir Dixon ran all night, following the horse's tracks, until he came to a heavily used crossroads and realized there was no way he could follow them anymore. All he could do was collapse in exhaustion in the middle of the road. He was very, very sad._

_ After several hours, a group of bandits surrounded him, and threatened him, saying he could either come with them or they would kill him. Now, Sir Dixon knew these were bad men – the princess had taught him what is was to be a good man, and these men were nothing like what she had spoken about – but he knew if he was to ever find her again, he had to stay alive, so he joined up with the bandits._

_ He learned that these bandits were looking for a man who had killed one of their own, and could use his help in tracking him down. Sir Dixon was left with no choice but to help them. Eventually they all caught up with the man they were looking for; it turned out to be the sheriff, his friend from the kingdom, the sheriff's son, and a wandering warrior who had joined the people of the kingdom. Together, they fought against the bandits and won. Sir Dixon told the sheriff about the princess, and knew his friend could tell how very much he missed her even though he couldn't say the words._

_ The four of them followed the trail, still looking for the rest of their people, Sir Dixon always searching for the princess. They came to a strange kingdom called Terminus, and at first were welcomed to join them, until the sheriff realized that the people of Terminus were wearing and using things that he knew belonged to the people of their own kingdom. They learned too late that Terminus was a trap, and they were thrown into the dungeon. _

_ As terrible as Sir Dixon's luck had been, it seemed to be turning. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw that, also in the dungeon, was the rest of the people from their kingdom. Together, they prepared to make their escape, as the people of Terminus had planned all manner of terrible things to do to them. _

_ Their plans fell through, and they found themselves in grave danger. Suddenly, there was a loud sound from outside the walls of the kingdom, then a louder sound from within the same walls. The sheriff made his move to escape, and Sir Dixon and the rest followed him. They all met up outside the walls of the now fallen Terminus to find Lady Carol, who had been the one to cause the distractions that allowed the rest of the group to escape. _

_ It turned out Lady Carol had met up with Sir Tyreese, who had been caring for the sheriff's baby after their kingdom had fallen. The sheriff was so happy to see his baby girl again, and Sir Dixon was too, but more than that, he was sad...very, very sad...because the princess had been right. Here were all their friends, safe and sound, only a little worse for wear, together again. She had had such strong faith, and he had doubted her for so long. Now he saw that she had been right all along and she wasn't here to see it._

_ Sir Dixon made it his mission to find Princess Beth no matter what, so he could show her how right she was._

At this, Daryl paused, hoping the little girl had fallen asleep. As soon as he stopped talking, the girl's eyes popped open.

"Uncle Daryl, don't stop there. Tell the rest of the story," she begged.

"Are you sure, sweetheart? You know it doesn't have a very happy ending." His heart sank as the little girl nodded her head.

"Yes, I'm sure. Princess Beth is so brave. I want to be brave like her."

Daryl sighed heavily and continued, swallowing past the lump growing in his throat.

_One night, Sir Dixon had followed Lady Carol away from the group. He wasn't sure why she was walking around at night by herself, and toward one of the horses they had found earlier. He was starting to ask what she had been planning to do when a man on a dark horse galloped past them. Sir Dixon saw the same white cross on the knight's tunic as before, the one who had taken Princess Beth, and rushed to get himself and Lady Carol mounted on the horse to follow them. He was so sure this knight would lead them right to the princess._

_ They followed the knight to a kingdom Sir Dixon had only visited a few times, but Lady Carol was well familiar with it. Together they searched for clues to finding the princess. They came across a boy who ended up having met the Princess Beth, and had been trying to free her. The three of them tried to make their way out of the kingdom, but before they could, Lady Carol was struck by a runaway carriage. Sir Dixon wanted to help his friend, but the boy, Noah, convinced him that the people of the kingdom would take care of her, and they could come back to rescue both Lady Carol and Princess Beth._

_ Sir Dixon brought Noah back to the rest of the people from the fallen kingdom. Noah told them that this new kingdom was run by a group of witches and warlocks, with very powerful magic and weapons. The leader of these was an evil witch named Dawn, who was very controlling, and felt very threatened by her own people. Noah explained that he was a servant to Dawn, and knew just how to get into the kingdom to save their two friends. He knew that the rest of the witches and warlocks in Grady Kingdom did not like Dawn, and that would be the way to take her down, by using her own people against her._

_ The sheriff chose members of the group to return to the kingdom of Grady, including of course Sir Dixon, to find a way to rescue Lady Carol and Princess Beth. Together they ended up capturing a witch and a warlock, some of Dawn's sentries, and planned to ask for an exchange, these two for their friends._

_ The group made their way into Grady Castle, and found that Dawn was willing to trade with them. Lady Carol was released first, then Princess Beth. Her face had changed – she looked stern, fierce. Her cheek and forehead were now marked with scars, no doubt delivered by the hands of the evil witch Dawn. Sir Dixon was so happy to have her back with him, scars and all, but before he could tell her so, before they could turn around to leave the kingdom, Dawn called after them and demanded that they hand Noah back over to her, claiming that he was still her servant and she wanted him back._

_ The sheriff argued with her, but Noah stepped forward, saying this was the way it had to be. Princess Beth chased after him and hugged him goodbye. Sir Dixon could only watch as she stepped up, face to face with Dawn. He was in such shock to see Princess Beth again, happy to see her acting so brave to stand up to the one who had kidnapped her, that he was powerless to move to stop what happened next._

_ The princess had hidden a small dagger in her long flowing sleeve. She raised her arm high and brought the dagger down, slamming it into Dawn's shoulder. In a flash, a loud sound rang through the hall, like a small cannon. Before anyone could react, the brave, beautiful, kind and loving Princess Beth sank to the ground – Dawn had cast a spell on her, a terrible spell that ended her life._

_ Without thinking, Sir Dixon yelled out and grabbed his sword and ran Dawn through. He walked over and knelt next to the princess' lifeless body on the ground. He wept over her, in front of his friends and the strange people of Grady Kingdom, but he didn't care. He felt his heart breaking and knew that nothing, no spell or potion or elixir would ever be enough to heal it._

_ He lifted the limp body of Princess Beth in his arms, carrying her carefully through the Castle Grady outside, to join the rest of the people of the fallen kingdom. Each step was harder and harder to take as his heart broke into millions of tiny pieces. He no longer felt like the good man the princess had seen. He felt sad, angry, and empty inside. _

_ Sir Dixon picked out a beautiful place for Princess Beth's grave. The members of the fallen kingdom had a ceremony honoring her life and laid her to rest. _

_ No one else in the group had known just how much Princess Beth had changed since their kingdom had fallen. No one knew how strong she was, how brave, how independent...how beautiful she had become, even with the scars that marred her perfect face._

_ Sir Dixon felt lost again, just like he had when the kingdom had first fallen. He made it his life's mission to make sure that the baby girl that Princess Beth had cared for so much, would survive, would live in safety, would want for nothing, and would never, ever forget all that Princess Beth had done for her._

"The end," Daryl said shakily, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked over at the girl, still tucked in under the covers and smiled sadly. He got up then bent over to kiss her forehead. "Good night, Judith, my sweet girl. Pleasant dreams," he whispered before turning toward the hallway, rushing to leave the room before the tears began to fall, just as hot and angry as they had been falling all these years.

"Uncle Daryl," her sleepy voice called. His eyes turned heavenward, silently asking for strength, and turned around. "Princess Beth loved the little girl very much, didn't she?"

Daryl sniffed and shook his head vigorously, "Yes...yes she did, Judith."

Judith thought for a moment then added, "I think she loved Sir Dixon, too. I think he loved her, too."

Daryl released a shaky laugh, the first of his tears spilling over his cheeks. "I think you're right, sweetheart."

"Why don't you have any kids, Uncle Daryl?" she asked innocently.

The question cut through what was left of Daryl's heart. He swallowed before answering, "Because you should have kids with your one true love, and mine's gone."

"Will you ever find her again?"

"I hope so Judith...I hope so. Get some sleep okay?"

Judith yawned, "Alright. Good night Uncle Daryl. I love you."

Daryl took a long, wavering breath. "I love you, Princess."

**This was by far the hardest thing I've ever written, but I had to honor Beth's memory the best way I could. I dedicate this, not just to Beth, but to her fans, for Daryl's fans, for the Walking Dead fans in need of healing. We will never forget our ass-kicking songbird, our light at the end of the tunnel, our ass-kicking songbird. Bethyl on, Bethyl forever. **


	12. Baby, It's Cold Outside

**Baby, It's Cold Outside**

Daryl had been struck dumb when he had first seen Beth, seemingly back from the dead, unsure whether or not he was hallucinating, yet there she was, standing next to some man Rick apparently knew, both having made it to Alexandria Safe Zone. She walked up to him, cautiously, as if she wasn't sure that he was real either, until she was standing mere inches from him, then suddenly launched herself into his arms.

He stood frozen in place in near shock until his arms moved of their own volition to wrap themselves around her. Her sweet, feminine scent invaded his nostrils, her soft blond hair tickling the backs of his hands, her heart beating against his chest; his senses were overwhelmed by her very presence. It was as if he couldn't believe she was really here, standing next to him, until he could hold her, feel her breath warming the skin of his neck.

They were nearly inseparable from that point on. Maggie had insisted Beth move in with her and Glenn, and Daryl couldn't argue too much on that point, as much as he'd wanted to. He found himself spending all his free time at their house, just to be near her, not wanting to let her go ever again. When Beth finally convinced Maggie that she was alright, that she needed to get out of the house, Daryl was the first person she sought out, practically begging him to take her out hunting, like they had done so many times before...well, they'd talked about before plenty. Now, it seemed, both wanted to focus on the present...and future.

Eventually, Beth started coming to Daryl's house more frequently. It wasn't much, little more than four walls and a roof, but there was an old, worn sofa facing the fireplace in the living room, a queen-sized bed in the bedroom (the largest and most comfortable bed Daryl had ever slept in), and a table with matching chairs in the kitchen. It was just Daryl living there; Rick had offered him a place in the house he shared with his children and Michonne, but Daryl preferred his privacy...at least until Beth came back into his life. Now he wanted no privacy from her. He just wanted her presence every chance he got.

The two had grown closer, much to the surprise and bemusement of the rest of their family. They seemed like such an odd pair, but they both knew better; this is what each of them wanted, needed. They could feel the other bringing out the best in them; Beth's ever-growing strength and Daryl's new-found hope bubbled to the surface more and more with each passing day.

As the months passed, they became even closer. Beth was always mindful of the other's opinions of them, not that they mattered, but she didn't want any more drama if any could be avoided. They all had enough to worry about in their day to day lives. As far as the rest of the group knew, they were just very close friends, but that didn't stop the curiosity from growing when it came to the pair of them.

They decided to let the group keep wondering, leaving them all in the dark as far as what really went on between them. They didn't need to know that they had ever kissed. (The first time was after she had shot her first deer unaided by Daryl. She spun around after the buck went down and flung her arms around his neck; he caught her and held her close to his chest. Something clicked between them, and when he set her back down on the ground, their lips came together, just as naturally as breathing.)

The group didn't need to know that whenever they were alone in Daryl's house, Beth's preferred seat had become Daryl's lap (where she could kiss him along his strong jaw and neck while feeling the muscles in his shoulders flex and relax as his hands moved up and down her back).

Beth and Daryl kept their secrets well, only raising minimal suspicion among the rest of the group. Their feelings for each other developed from just friendship into something more, something beautiful, something real, and they just weren't ready to share that with anyone else just yet. Beth convinced Daryl it had nothing to do with her being ashamed of him (she wasn't, not in the least) but that she didn't want the added attention from everyone else. They all already looked at her differently, treated her differently – everyone except Daryl – as if no one could believe she had survived after the prison and then being kidnapped, despite Daryl's faith in her strength. They still couldn't explain how she had managed to survive the gunshot wound; they went on and on how fortunate she was that Morgan had found her near the grave they had left her in. To them, she was always someone who needed saving, who needed someone to look after her. She felt their eyes on her anytime she walked down the street. The only place she felt truly safe was in Daryl's house, more specifically, in Daryl's arms. If the rest of their family caught wise to their goings on, there would just be more stares, but added to that would be everyone's opinions, and neither Beth nor Daryl cared to hear just what everyone else thought.

One day after hunting, Beth had offered to make Daryl dinner. "You've got to be tired of roast squirrel by now. Let me sneak into the kitchens and grab a couple things and I'll make you some stew. It'd be good on a cold evening like tonight."

Daryl nodded and headed to his house, his eyes glancing up at the sky above him. There was something in the look of the clouds that made him think something bad was on its way in. They looked like storm clouds, but they weren't exactly heavy with rain like they would be in Georgia. Daryl could only predict they were in for a night of some bad weather, but exactly how bad, he wasn't sure.

He had lit the logs in the fireplace and set to work preparing the squirrels he had caught. He was just finishing up the second one when he heard her soft knock on the front door. Daryl called out, letting her know it was open, and finished the task at hand. When he glanced up at her as she entered the kitchen, his breath caught in his throat.

Beth stood there before him, beautiful, even still bundled up in her over-large coat, wool knit hat, mittens and scarf, her arms clutching a few vegetables to her. There was a dusting of white on her hat and shoulders; apparently it was snowing outside, and her hair glistened like diamonds as the flakes caught in her golden locks melted in the fire's glow, making her look like some kind of winter angel.

Her face flushed, mostly from the cold, but partially from the heated gaze Daryl was sending her way. "I'll, um, I'll just get started on these," she said, laying the few carrots, pieces of celery, and onion she had pilfered onto the counter. She reached in her pockets and revealed two brown potatoes. Daryl stood mesmerized as she removed her outerwear and draped it over one of the kitchen chairs, then shook himself from his trance as she turned to start chopping the vegetables.

The stew came together quickly enough. Daryl had found some spices tucked away in one of the cabinets, still there from the previous occupants; the smells coming from the bubbling pot near the fire were making Daryl's mouth water and his stomach grumble. Beth scooped healthy portions of their dinner into bowls and together she and Daryl relaxed on the sofa, enjoying the cheerful fire, their hearty meal, and, most of all, each other's company.

Once they had eaten their fill, Daryl gestured for Beth to scoot closer to him, sliding his left arm around her. "Thanks for cookin' tonight. It was amazing," he murmured close to her ear before pressing a kiss on her temple. He soon realized that one kiss wasn't enough. Daryl angled his head lower, kissing the shell of her ear, her earlobe, and down along one of the tendons of her neck. His right hand cupped the left side of her face, his fingers combing through her soft blonde hair, anchoring her to him, allowing him to take his time and fully explore all her exposed skin, each inch sweeter than the last.

Her breathing was becoming labored, coming in sharp pants as his lips skimmed over her sensitive skin, leaving a string of kisses hotter than the fire that blazed in front of them. She wanted him to stop so she could catch her breath; she never wanted him to stop so she could lose herself in him. Every touch, lick, nibble caused her heartrate to spike and plummet at the same time; she was powerless against him, against the sensations and emotions swirling in and around her. She tilted her head back, granting him all the access he wanted, and let go a soft moan as his lips kissed the base of her throat, just above the collar of her shirt. "Daryl..." she breathed, not sure if she was asking or encouraging him, but his name tumbled passed her lips nonetheless, and it only seemed to spur him on further.

"Oh, Beth..." he murmured against her skin. The fingertips of his right hand trailed down the side of her neck before playing with the fabric of her t-shirt, pulling to move the collar-line down further, until his lips were placing delicate kisses just above her heart.

"Daryl...wait," Beth whispered, and his head snapped up immediately. "I...I really can't stay..."

Daryl looked at her confusedly. "I do somethin' wrong?"

"NO!" she exclaimed, "God, no. This has beenvery...very nice. I just...I need to go."

"You wanna leave? Now?" He looked out the window and saw the swirling flakes dancing past the glass. "But it's cold out there, 's nice and warm here. I've been hoping for some...some more privacy...with ya."

Beth's hands came down from around his neck and found his right hand, now sitting in his lap, "I know, Daryl, and I'm sorry, but..."

"Jesus! Your hands are freezing!" he exclaimed, and started rubbing her hands between his. "Look it's really coming down out there." He looked down at their joined hands, "Did I...didn't you like..."

Beth rolled her eyes, "Daryl, trust me, I was definitely enjoying myself," she smiled as the corners of his own lips started to curl upwards. "I was just thinking, Rick and Michonne are right next door. Won't they think something's up? Everyone up and down the street saw me come over here..."

"So what? You go now, you'll be leaving footprints in the snow, they'll know you was over here anyway," he fought back with a tiny smile. "Might as well at least wait it out. Just stay here, nice and warm."

"Daryl..." she said petulantly, then giggled. "If I leave now, my prints will get covered up by the rest of the snow."

Damn...he couldn't argue with that. "Well, at least let me make ya somethin' to warm ya up for on yer way back."

"Okay," Beth acquiesced, grinning at his insistence. She didn't want to leave, certainly not, but knew better than to feed the gossip mongers with a late night visit. She smiled as Daryl hopped off the couch and hustled into the kitchen. She heard him running water and bustling around; he came back carrying two mugs, a spoon and a saucepan of water, which he set on the hearth to warm up by the fire.

"Shouldn't take but a couple minutes ta heat up, then...I got a surprise for ya." He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips, and she returned the kiss readily. They were in each other's arms again in no time; Beth opened her mouth to him when his tongue traced along her bottom lip. "God, you're beautiful," he whispered against her mouth, and she was lost to him all over again. He leaned into her, pushing her further into the cushions of the couch, and little by little, they ended up lying next to each other, their knees knocking against each other, both of their free arms roaming over the other's body.

Beth glanced up and over Daryl's shoulder. "Your water is steaming," she commented, and giggled at his soft growl.

"Ya just can't let things go, can ya?" he teased as he kissed her hard one more time and dragged himself off the couch and went to preparing the mugs of hot liquid. A wonderful aroma soon filled the tiny room, and it stirred a fond memory in the back of Beth's mind. Daryl returned to her and offered her a cup.

Her eyes lit up when she realized what the smell was. "Hot chocolate?" she cried out excitedly. "How? Where did you get it?"

Daryl chuckled, "Found it hiding in the back of a cabinet when I first moved in here. Been...been saving it for a special occasion." His eyes lowered, then he nodded toward her, "Drink up."

Her heart all but melted as she realized what he'd said. She was his special occasion. The cocoa tasted delicious, rich and creamy, and...was that cinnamon? How did he manage that? She curled her always cold fingers around the warm mug and kept sipping at her beverage. "So, you surprised?" Her eyes met his and found him to be grinning at her.

"About the chocolate? Very surprised. I haven't had hot chocolate in ages," she said wistfully. Beth couldn't stop drinking, delighting in the warmth that spread all the way to her fingers and toes. She glanced out the window again and saw that the snowfall was actually increasing rather than tapering off. "I really should get going. The longer I wait, the harder it'll be to cover my tracks." She set down her now empty mug and moved to get off the couch.

"Beth, it's getting really bad out there. Wouldn't be surprised if there weren't a little ice mixed in with all that snow. And listen." They both paused and listened to the wind whistle through the bare trees outside, "I'm tellin' ya, it's bad out there."

She stood up, and instantly had to grab hold of something to steady herself. She hadn't gotten up _that _quickly to cause a head rush. Then it dawned on her. She wheeled on him, keeping herself upright by holding onto the back of the couch, "Daryl Dixon, did you put something in my chocolate?"

A devilish grin spread across his face. "Maybe. Might 'a found some fireball hiding in the same cabinet as the cocoa. Seemed to me if the chocolate didn't warm ya up, the whiskey would."

"Whiskey?!" she shrieked. "You spiked my drink?"

Daryl shrugged, "Just enhanced it is all. You seemed to like it." His mischievous grin growing wider.

Beth went to smack his shoulder, "I cannot believe you." She thought for a moment, "Wait. When did you put it in?"

"In the kitchen. Hence the surprise." He smiled up at her, which just made her all the more angrier. "You know, with the fire goin' like this, you are absolutely gorgeous. Your hair all curly, your eyes all sparkly..." he trailed off. "I'm sorry I snuck the fireball in. I just...wanted us both ta relax a little. If it made ya forget about leavin', so be it. If you really wanna go..." he pushed himself off the couch and made for the kitchen table to retrieve her coat and other belongings.

She took them all from him at once, putting her mittens on first, then her coat, which she found impossible to zip, especially with no real use of her fingers, all while trying to keep hold of her pom-pommed hat. "Here, let me hold that. Want me to zip you up?" Daryl offered.

"No," Beth replied snarkily. "I'll be just fine, thanks." Her hair had fallen from where she had it tucked behind her ears, and was now blocking her view to find the ends to close up the zipper.

"Let me?" Daryl said, half asking, and stepped in a little closer to her, brushing her hair back with his long fingers. Even when it was securely in place and out of her face, his hands stayed on either side of her head. Giving up on zipping her coat, she looked up and met his eyes. "Please, Beth. Just...stay."

She sighed heavily, "Daryl...I really should say no...especially after you spiking my drink. Not sure I can trust you."

Daryl dropped his hands from her face and staggered backward dramatically, clutching his hand over his heart, gasping, "My wounded pride..."

"I said, 'I really _should_ say no,'" Beth said beneath a smirk. "I don't want to...don't want to leave the fire, or the comfy couch, or...you."

Daryl discovered his pride was not nearly as wounded as he had let on.

"The thing is, Maggie and Glenn will know I never came home, and you know how terrible Glenn is about keeping secrets..." she trailed off, distracted by the look on Daryl's face. "What?" she asked, concerned.

"You got some cocoa on your lip," he smirked. "Here...lemme get it," he murmured as he closed in, holding her hands at her sides and licking softly at the corner of her mouth, his lips sealing over hers.

Beth took a reluctant step back, bending to keep in contact with his wonderful mouth. "Daryl...come on...I need to get home."

Daryl ignored her, "Delicious," he whispered and kissed her again, his tongue teasing her lips once more. She backed away, but he kept following her, until she found herself pressed against the front door. He ventured down her neck again, teasing the skin there with his teeth, applying just the slightest amount of suction.

"Daryl Dixon, don't you dare give me a hickey. You know, I had a hard enough time hiding the last one. I'm pretty sure Carol saw it. She's quick, put two and two together and started asking all kinds of questions."

"That's what scarves are for," he mumbled against her skin. "Good thing there's a blizzard going on outside."

She was absolutely melting against the door under his kisses. Beth steeled herself, pushed against him, and fumbled with her zipper once more. "I've got to go, Daryl. I'm sorry. I really am," she started, rushing through her apology. She finally got the zipper started, but it got stuck; she pulled angrily, and the whole thing split. "Crap. I broke the stupid zipper. This coat hardly kept the cold out as it was. Can I..." she looked up at him from under her eyelashes, "can I borrow yours?"

Daryl laughed, "Sorry, sweetheart. Only one I got's my leather. You wear that, people will _know_ you were over here. Nope, I guess you're just gonna freeze out there. Bad coat and..." he looked down at her shoes, "no boots? That snow's halfway to your knees already."

"People are gonna talk, Daryl. I can't stay," she protested feebly.

"Let 'em talk," he growled and started planting kisses all over her face. She started to push against him again, "Beth, don't do this. Everyone's gonna know you were here no matter what you do. We might as well make the best of it. Besides, since they'll know where you were comin' from, what would they do to me if they knew I'd let you walk outside in the freezing cold, bad coat, bad shoes? What if you get sick? Ain't no pharmacy to get ya medicine anymore. You ever hear o' catchin' yer death o' cold?" He was laying it on thick now, but he didn't care. "How could you do that to me? I already lost you...twice. I ain't letting you go again. I can't go through it all again."

"Daryl," she whimpered, her eyes glistening with tears, "I can't. I'm sorry." She rested her hand on his cheek, while her other hand sought the door knob. She turned it and pulled the door open part way. She moved to back her way out of the cozy warm living room just as an icy gust of wind ripped through her coat and chilled her to the bone.

Beth shut the door and locked it. She stared down at the floor; she hung her head, shaking it in defeat. She finally looked up and saw Daryl's apprehensive stare. Without a word, she shrugged off her coat, letting her scarf and mittens land on the floor next to it, not bothering to pick anything up off the floor, and crossed back to the couch to sit down in a huff.

Daryl followed after a moment, leaving the pile where it was, and sat on the other side of the couch. "What changed your mind?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

Beth turned her head to look at him, then scooted across to wrap her arms around him. She nuzzled into his neck, planting teasing kisses all over. She summoned courage she didn't realize she had and knelt next to him, then swung her leg over his lap, straddling him, and kissed him, curling her fingers through his hair.

When they finally had to come up for air, she looked him deep in the eyes and whispered, "Baby, it's cold outside."

**My first Bethyl anything since the MSF. Well, aside from the sob-fest I posted the day after. Hope you enjoyed it. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays, kids! **


	13. View From Above

**This was my contribution to the Walking Dead Holiday Fic Exchange, organized by the awesome ****PrintDust** Prompt - Daryl is taken to the hospital with Beth (Slabtown with Daryl) - possibly (optional) Hershel's point of view looking down on them.

**View from Above**

I felt nothing. Absolutely weightless. The pain, the fear, the heartbreak at hearing my girls' screams, the deafening gunfire – it was all gone. The only thing I felt was peace.

I looked around, taking in my surroundings. I'm not sure how I got here, wherever here was. It all looked familiar, yet completely new to me at the same time. A lone figure was walking toward me, quickly, but not rushed.

"Welcome home, Hershel." I heard a kind sounding voice address me.

"Is this..." I started to ask, but the words wouldn't leave my lips.

The figure simply nodded and held its arms out to the sides. "It is. Your eternal reward."

I nodded back. I knew I hadn't survived, I just...didn't expect this. "What do I do now?"

"Whatever you wish." I could hear the smile in the voice.

I looked down at my feet. The ground seemed to fade beneath them. I could see tiny movements below the soles of my feet. Then all of a sudden everything was transported and I was there with my family again, hovering over them. I looked up and the figure was still beside me. "Is this...is that them? That's really happening?"

The being nodded again. "You may watch from up here, but you can't go back. You raised your family well, taught them and cared for them. There's no reason for you to go back. Once you're here, there's no becoming a ghost among the living."

A thought crossed my mind. "What about Annette? Josephine? Are they here too?"

"Yes. They know you're here. I imagine they'll be along soon to welcome you, too."

I nodded and sighed, relieved that I wasn't exactly alone. "Thank you." I turned, but the figure had already left. I directed my focus back down to what was happening on earth. It was total chaos. My family, both blood and adopted, were scattering, trying to protect themselves, protect their home. I could feel how scared they were, how angry, and wanted so badly to be with them. I felt a soft hand on my shoulder. Startled, I looked over and saw Annette smiling at me. Words failed me as she wrapped her arms around me.

"Hello, Hershel," she said softly. "Oh, it's good to hold you again."

I laughed against her hair as I hugged her back. It felt wrong to cry in a place like this. I pulled back from her and the sound of an explosion echoed from below us.

"Things look pretty bad down there, don't they?" she observed.

Of course she'd be watching our Bethy from up here; I wasn't sure why I was surprised. I nodded in agreement. "I wish I could help them. They look so lost, so scared."

"We can't directly interfere. The only ones allowed to actually visit are the angels, and that's only in very severe cases. They all have to figure it out on their own. Goes with the free will and all that," Annette explained.

I grimaced at the news, but knew she was right. I felt another hand on my shoulder. I turned to look and found Josephine. "Jo..." I whispered.

She laughed and pulled me into an embrace. "About time you got here."

I suddenly felt very awkward between the two women, my first and second wives. "Jo, I..."

She pressed her fingers against my lips. "It's alright, Hershel. I didn't want you to be alone when I died. You needed help with Maggie." She looked over at Annette, who was still smiling. "I hated seeing the both of you together but so alone. I sent her to you. I knew you both needed each other."

"You sent...Annette? How?" I asked, surprised at this revelation. I looked at Annette, "You said we couldn't interfere."

Annette shrugged, "We can't...at least we can't go back to change the course of events." Her lips curled into a grin. "Did you ever hear that tiny voice in your head telling you to go right instead of left? To order chicken instead of steak? Diet instead of regular soda?" I nodded, still confused. "That was us, Jo and I, still watching over you, helping to guide your decisions."

I frowned and kept looking between the two of them. Jo tried explaining, "We can't go down and take someone and force their hand, but we can point them in the right direction and hope they go that way. A somewhat less-than-divine intervention."

I looked at the scene below me again, letting this new information sink in. "How?" I asked, and looked at the two loves of my life. "How do you do it?"

Annette spoke first, her face full of compassion. "It's not easy...takes lots of practice. It's like praying. You focus your thoughts on the ones you love and talk to them as if you were there with them."

"We can't do it all the time, just when they need a little nudge in the right direction," Jo continued. "Remember, free will. If you try to make them do something they wouldn't do on their own, it won't work."

I nodded and looked down again. I searched until I saw my daughters, Beth and Maggie, scrambling to find each other. They were near the bus that was supposed to get everyone out of the prison in case of an emergency...like the situation they were all in now. I watched as Maggie handed her gun to Beth, telling her, "We've all got jobs to do," and took off, running to find Glenn. It hurt to see my little Bethy standing alone outside the bus, a gun half the size of her in her arms, fighting not to cry. I wanted to tell Maggie to get back to her sister, but knew how important finding Glenn was. He was sick, and was about to be left behind. Beth looked around at the scene exploding around her and ran back toward the prison, heading for the library, where all the kids were supposed to be hiding.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Maggie found Glenn and brought him back to the bus, and my heart twisted when she realized Beth wasn't there anymore. I was so proud of her when she directed Glenn to stay in the safety of the bus as she looked for her sister. She ran to the small garden area where Sasha and Bob were near the picnic tables, immediately asking if they had seen Beth. Neither of them had. I watched as Bob got shot in the shoulder, thankful it wasn't a fatal wound. My heart sank along with theirs as the bus pulled away right before their eyes. They took off, still dodging bullets piercing the air around them. I prayed a silent "Thank you," to whoever was keeping my family safe.

Another loud explosion caught my attention; I saw the tank now on fire, the driver fleeing the burning vehicle, only to stare down the business end of Daryl's crossbow. I was so proud of that young man; who else but Daryl could put down a tank single-handedly? He finished off the tank driver and stood silently over him.

A new fear gripped me as I saw Beth stumble out of the prison, all alone, lost and clearly without any plan. She hadn't found any of the children, and she was more concerned about where they might be than her own safety. I watched as realization dawned on her, that the bus was gone, seemingly no one left. She ran blindly into the courtyard, where the burning tank was sitting.

I knew my Bethy was strong, stronger than she knew, but on her own out in this world, she wouldn't make it. She needed someone to help her realize her strength. I had hoped Maggie would be there to pick up where I had left off, but she was gone already. The nearest person was...Daryl.

I knew there was no one else in this group that had become my family that would be able to take care of my baby girl, who could prepare her for the hardships of this world. He would keep her fed, keep her safe. I knew he was still rough around the edges, and it would be hard on my Beth, but I needed her to survive. She was too good to let this world kill her. My mind was made up.

I did as Annette had said, focused my thoughts on Daryl, trying to get through to him. "Just wait...just wait... please, just wait..." I repeated over and over, and to my surprise, he never moved, only looked ahead at the exit leading into the woods - his safe haven.

Beth came tearing around the corner, almost running into Daryl as he stood stock still. "I was trying to find the kids to get them on the bus," she explained, and her words seemed to snap him out of his trance.

He glanced around the courtyard, at the ruins of their prison home, then back at her. "We gotta go, Beth. We gotta go," was all he said and he took off running, Beth close behind.

I almost wept in relief. She'd be safe. He'd keep her that way. Maggie was strong, she could handle herself out there, and she had Sasha and Bob and was on her way to find her husband, and I'd keep my eye on her to make sure she stayed that way. I knew Jo and Annette would be watching, too, that our girls would never be out of our sight.

I watched as Beth pushed on to keep up with Daryl, running through trees and fields, beyond the point of exhaustion for both of them. I watched as they both collapsed, side by side, gasping to catch their breath, and I prayed that they'd stay safe while they took this much needed rest. They travelled on, ending up at the edge of the woods, where Daryl built a small fire for the two of them. I beamed with pride when Beth declared that they couldn't be the only survivors. Her faith in everyone else making it out alive was so strong; she was so adamant. I saw that Daryl didn't believe a word of it, but his demeanor didn't stop her from pushing on. When he showed no signs of getting up and she left without him, I grew anxious. It was bad enough thinking about her being by herself, only her small knife for a weapon, in broad daylight, but at night? In the woods?

I focused my thoughts again and begged Daryl to stay with her. Eventually he sighed heavily, put out the fire and trudged after her. I was surprised how easily he had heard me, but was glad for it.

They stumbled through the darkness, Daryl never letting Beth too far out of his sight. They marched on through the night, neither of them able to sleep anyway. Daryl followed what few tracks he could find as best he could in the dim moonlight. As morning broke over the horizon, they picked up speed and eventually came across a place where a group from the prison had clearly been, four or five hours ago according to Daryl.

I smiled down as I heard my daughter announce, so determined, so adamantly, "It wouldn't kill you to have a little faith."

"Yeah, faith. Faith ain't done shit for us. Sure as hell ain't do nothing for your father."

'Oh, Daryl.' I shook my head. 'If you only knew.'

"Why would he say that?" I heard from beside me. I glanced up and found Annette was by my side. I'd been so consumed with watching my youngest that I'd forgotten these two women were still here with me, watching our daughters.

"Well, he had faith that they could all stay at the prison. That certainly didn't pan out." Ah, my Jo, always the snarky one. I was instantly reminded just where Maggie got her sense of humor.

"I understand that," Annette responded, never taking her eyes off the scene below us. "Why bring up Hershel? Seems kind of a calloused to say something like that, doesn't it?"

I chuckled. "That's just Daryl being Daryl. Not always the best in social situations," I explained. Still, his comment made me wonder just what was going on in his head. Why he had to throw that in her face. I returned to observing the pair.

Beth had started to pick berries for when she found any other survivors. My heart swelled with pride – my Bethy, ever the eternal optimist. Her tiny hands were quickly filling with the fruit. She needed something to help hold her small harvest. I had just started thinking, focusing on Daryl, when he offered her his bandana. It seemed I was very adept at communicating with the man, and wondered if it was me in tune with him or if he was more open-hearted than I gave him credit for.

I was lost in thought as they continued on their trek and came upon the remnants of those they had been tracking. Poor, sensitive Beth broke down crying, her fragile sense of hope wounded. I wanted to hold her, to tell her not to give up, to keep the faith, and tried to channel all of that through Daryl. I was all but screaming in my mind to him, begging him to show some compassion, but her ignored my concentrated plea and walked on.

I looked to my side and saw Annette sitting in quiet concentration. I marveled at the determination on her face, in awe when I saw Beth respond to her focused effort. Gradually our daughter calmed herself, stopped the flow of tears and followed after Daryl.

"Amazing," I breathed and she looked up at me, her eyes curious as to what I was talking about. "She really heard you, really responded. What did you say to her?"

Annette just smiled serenely, her eyes looking tired, "Just told her to have faith. Be calm. Carry on. They tend to respond better if you keep it simple."

I looked to my other side to see Jo kneeling, her eyes squeezed shut. I peered down and saw Maggie working with Bob and Sasha clearing out a bus now full of walkers. It was clear that for her to make contact with our daughter was taking a lot out of Josephine. 'That's odd. Why did I have an easier time getting Daryl to hear me? Maybe it's because we were only just recently separated from each other,' I thought guiltily. Jo must have to work harder because she had been gone longer. To my surprise, Maggie suddenly stood stock still, leaving the other two to fend for themselves. "Why did you stop her? The others could have gotten hurt."

Jo kept her eyes closed as she replied, "They were fine. She was getting reckless, about to get herself hurt."

The next thing I knew, night had fallen, leaving Beth and Daryl surrounded by darkness in the middle of a forest, and a large group of walkers wasn't far behind them. The two came to a road running through the woods. They were scavenging through an abandoned car they had found when the walkers caught up with them. I watched as they scrambled into the trunk. As they sat together, I prayed for their safety throughout the night.

Morning came after a night filled with terror, both from the walkers snarling to get to their prey inside the car and from the lightning storm raging around them. Beth crawled out of the trunk first, and they started looking again for items they could use. When Daryl silently began walking down the road, Beth followed dutifully after him.

The day wore on; Beth set up camp as Daryl hunted for a meal for the two of them. As they ate, Beth started talking about looking for a drink, and went on to search alone for her first alcoholic drink.

"Absolutely not," I bellowed. "She knows better. She's too young." I focused my efforts on getting Daryl to move, to stop my daughter, to talk some sense into her, but the archer just sat and continued eating, letter her walk off into the woods alone. I hoped for a moment that Beth would lose her nerve at going off on her own, but knowing my daughter, that was highly unlikely. I was mentally screaming at Daryl to get up, but the man wouldn't move. "Why won't he do anything" I asked, my voice frantic with panic; I could see that Beth was stubbornly marching directly toward a small group of walkers. "Why won't either of them listen? Daryl heard me earlier, I'm just sure he did."

Annette and Josephine both grinned at me. Annette spoke first. "Hershel, you're still new at this. Maybe the other times were just...luck."

"Besides," Jo interjected, "what's so bad about getting a drink? If I was Beth, I'd be doing the same thing. She's a young woman on a mission; she's been through a lot, and she's a smart girl with a good head on her shoulders." She placed a calming hand on my shoulder, "Have a little faith in her."

When I had calmed down a little, I saw that Daryl had, in fact, started after Beth. 'So he did hear me, although apparently, food is more important than my daughter's safety,' I seethed. The pair was headed to an overrun country club. I felt, rather than saw, both Annette and Jo moving next to me.

"Come on, dear," Jo said softly. "Take a break. You've been watching for hours."

I stayed in place, refusing to move. "What if they get in trouble? What if there's something I can do to help?"

Annette pulled me along with her. "Daryl's a good man. Beth's a smart girl. They'll take care of each other. Really, Hershel," she said with a tsk of her tongue, "have some faith."

I reluctantly followed the two women I loved so much. While it was beyond wonderful to be with them again, to reminisce about old times, to hear their laughs again, my mind couldn't focus on their conversation for very long. My mind kept wandering back to what was going on below, if my girls were still safe. I swore I heard shouting from below me and found I just couldn't fight it any longer; I had to know what was going on.

Beth and Daryl were in the middle of a heated argument, though I wasn't entirely sure what it was about. I was certainly proud of my youngest for standing up to the older man, for holding her own. Daryl turned his back on her, talking about how he should have tried harder to find the Governor. He was blaming himself for the attack on the prison that had scattered our family to the wind. "Oh, son, it's not your fault. None of it. You did all you could," I spoke softly, not sure if he'd actually hear me. My heart was full of pride for this man, for all he had done for our family.

"And your dad..." Daryl began before his voice broke and tears began to fall. Beth wrapped her slender arms around him and they stood together in silence.

I looked up and saw Jo and Annette grinning again. "What?" I asked, genuinely confused. "What are you smiling at?"

The women only stood and smiled. Jo turned to Annette, "You saw it, too, didn't you?"

"Yes, I think I did."

"Saw what?" I demanded, but the women refused to answer.

"Don't worry," Annette told me, "You'll see it soon enough, I suspect."

I was still very much confused, but chose to believe what they were saying and returned to watching below to try to figure out what I'd missed. Beth and Daryl were sitting on the porch now, drinking out of mason jars. "That's not water, is it?" I asked Jo, my voice full of doubt; I already knew my answer based on their more relaxed conversation now. There must have been some kind of still at the rundown shack and together they had raided the stash of white lightning.

I listened in, my heart starting to break when Beth described the future she had been hoping for. I heard her suggest they burn the shack down and instantly tried to get through to them to keep them from following through. Where would they go in the middle of the night, both of them drunk, wandering through the woods?

A whispered voice stopped me. "Let them be, Hershel." I looked up at both women staring fondly at me. "They need this. They don't need us right now. Let them be." As much as it pained me, I knew they were right. I had to have faith in my girl and her safe keeper. I turned and followed Annette and Jo into our eternal celebration.

The thing about eternity is there really is no concept of time. From where I was standing, it seemed only a matter of hours had passed, but the next time I looked down, it was clear that weeks, if not months, had passed in the land of the living. I found Beth and Daryl, both of them still looking healthy and whole and even...happy. What had happened in my absence?

Was that Beth holding Daryl's crossbow? Something had clearly shifted in their relationship for him to trust her with his most prized possession. And Beth was leading Daryl? Apparently he had been training her, and training her well. That certainly explained things. It would have taken lots of trust on both parts to come to this point, but spending all this time together, depending on each other, would surely garner a strong connection between the two of them.

I watched, concerned, as Beth went down, her foot caught in some kind of trap. I was impressed that she still managed to come close to hitting her target; my sweet little girl had turned into quite the huntress. I trusted Daryl to keep protecting her, and he didn't disappoint for a moment. They carried on, Beth hobbling behind him now, until Daryl stopped in his tracks and stooped low, offering a "serious piggyback." I took a breath to protest – they were getting far too close for my comfort – but was stopped by Annette's hand on my shoulder.

She smiled warmly at me, then raised her eyebrows. "You're starting to see it, aren't you?"

I snapped my mouth shut and stared at her wildly. "I see an older man who's got his hands on my little girl," I ground out.

"Hershel," Annette said, her voice instantly soothing, "Look at them." They had found an old funeral home, and Beth was standing before a grave stone. Daryl picked some withering wildflowers and laid them atop the marker. I gasped as Beth reached for his hand, their fingers intertwining. "Do you see it?" Annette asked again. "They care for each other very much. They are what each other needs."

"But...but it's Daryl. He's too hard for our little Bethy."

"She's not so soft as you'd like to think, dear. That's a good thing," she quickly added. "In that world, she has to be strong, and Daryl has helped her come into her own. And look at him."

I directed my attention on them again. Beth was asking him if he thought something was beautiful, but he remained silent. There was something in his eyes, like he was trying to communicate with her silently, but instead just offered to wrap her injured ankle.

"See? He cares very much about her. And based on that look he gave her..." Annette trailed off and gave me a wink. "Well, we'll just have to wait and see."

I couldn't take my eyes off them. She was all smiles around him, and his demeanor had changed drastically. He seemed to find all manner of reasons to touch her, always innocently enough; the touches were harmless, never intending to lead to anything, but were meaningful all the same. It reminded me of when I was courting Jo and Annette. My eyes grew wider at the realization, something like shock settling into my system.

Day became night and my heart soared as Beth began playing the piano and singing. It had been such a long time since my ears had heard the beautiful music she created. My view shifted to Daryl standing in the doorway to the viewing parlor. He seemed as mesmerized by her as I was. I found myself less and less upset that he was looking at my daughter this way. It was clearly evident that he cared a great deal for her; knowing Daryl, he would only have the most honorable of intentions and would never take advantage of or force himself on her. I'd actually be surprised if he made any move on her at all.

He crossed into the room after a long moment of listening to her, muttering something about having locked up the house then hopped into the empty casket lying open near the piano. He suggested she keep on singing.

"I thought my singing annoyed you," Beth cocked a wary eyebrow at him.

So did I, come to think of it.

"Well, there ain't no juke box, so..." he trailed off and watched as Beth grinned and turned back to the piano and picked up singing her song. This time, my eyes never left Daryl, and his never left her until he stared up at the ceiling and dropped his hand to his forehead.

"My God," I whispered in half-disbelief, "He loves her." I looked to Annette and Josephine. "How? When?"

"Does it matter?" Jo asked.

I decided she had a point, and that it didn't really matter. "Does she...?"

Annette shrugged, "I've got my suspicions, but it's very easy to love her, and even easier for her to love."

"But she's so young," I protested.

"So what?" asked Josephine. "We were both pretty young when we met. And you and Annette had several years between the two of you."

I was still trying to wrap my brain around the whole thing. It was morning down below when I finally looked back. Beth was hobbling her way toward the kitchen where Daryl had already set out breakfast for the two of them. He had made some comment about her moving faster. I heard her tell him she was going as fast as she could, but apparently it wasn't fast enough. He scooped her into his arms without warning and carried her the rest of the way to the kitchen table, which was all of ten feet or so. Both women next to me tittered excitedly. I couldn't hide my smile once I saw Beth's grin and heard her infectious laughter, saw her arms linked around his neck. I shook my head and took a double take.

Daryl was smiling. He looked so proud and...genuinely happy.

And Beth had made him that way. They made each other happier than I'd ever seen either of them.

"I just...I can't believe it," I murmured. "Who would have thought my little doodlebug would fall in love with a man like Daryl?" Jo and Annette shared a knowing look, but chose to keep their thoughts silent. "What?" I inquired, but was only answered with both of them shrugging and playing innocent. I found myself laughing along with them.

Beth and Daryl were still seated at the small kitchen table the next time I looked down, but now Daryl had sat himself right next to her instead of across from her. It was night time now and the kitchen was glowing with the light of several tea light candles spread out around the room. Beth was busy writing a thank you letter to whomever owned the house, but Daryl stopped her.

"Maybe you don't need to leave that. Maybe we stick around here for a while. They come back, we'll just make it work. They may be nuts, but maybe it'll be alright."

Beth grinned smugly and asked him what made him realize that there were still good people left in the world. After he shrugged away her question, Beth pressed on. Daryl's only answer was simply to stare at her, as if he was willing her to hear his thoughts. She responded with a soft, "Oh." I could feel the tension, not necessarily unwelcomed by either of them, all the way from my viewpoint.

A sound came from the front porch, and Daryl got up to see what had caused it. I realized too late that he'd left his crossbow at the table. I frantically tried to call down to him, to warn him of the dangers on the other side of the door, but to no avail. Over a dozen walkers were pushing on the door to get at him. I fought to keep them at bay, calling to Beth, who brought his weapon and tossed it to him. He instructed her to get out of the house to meet him by the road, that he would meet her there. She yelled back that she wouldn't leave him, but he insisted and led the walkers down into the basement.

I looked at Annette and Jo imploringly, begging them to help me help them. "It's no use, Hershel," Annette said softly. "Sometimes there's just too much going on at once for them to hear us. We just have to trust that they'll make it on their own. They're both strong. They'll make it." She gave me a look and I could hear her thoughts loud and clear: have faith.

Beth made it to the road fine, just as Daryl was starting to make his way back up the stairs. A black car came out of nowhere, and a man dressed as a policeman jumped out and grabbed for her. She fought, and fought hard. Jo, Annette and I were all outraged. Not this, not now; not when they were both safe and happy and together. Had these men set the house as a trap?

The policeman fighting with Beth reached for the bag slung over her shoulder. They both pulled, straining the strap until it broke, scattering the items inside onto the pavement. Beth fell to the ground, breaking her fall with her right hand, her wrist bending at an awkward angle, clearly broken now. I wanted nothing more than to go down and comfort her, but knew Daryl was on his way and would be able to protect her. The cop grabbed her and was pulling her toward the back seat of the car. I was proud to see she never once stopped fighting. I watched, helplessly, as the cop hit her across the cheek, knocking her out cold. I howled with rage, unheard save for the two women who stood by me, silently weeping.

"The fuck you doin'?" I heard a gruff southern drawl come out of nowhere. Daryl was standing just off the road, his crossbow loaded and aimed directly at the cop. The uniformed man froze in place, leaving Beth to lie on the ground.

"Look, just stand back. We've got this under control," he said, one hand outstretched, trying to keep Daryl at a distance, the other hand on the butt of his gun.

"The hell you do. You knocked my girl the fuck out. You got about two seconds to tell me why," he growled, all the while stepping closer.

The driver of the car stepped out, his hands in the air. "I can explain. We're from Atlanta, Grady Hospital. Out looking for survivors. We were driving along the road and saw her walking along, obviously favoring her right ankle. We saw all the rotters around and figured we'd stop to help. Officer Gorman here tried to get her to come into the car, but she resisted, started panicking."

"You stopped to help by hitting her? Look at her arm. Did you break her damn arm?" Daryl's voice growing louder and angrier with each syllable. "How the fuck you gonna make this right?" he asked heatedly, aiming directly at Gorman's head now.

Gorman pulled his pistol out of his holster and Daryl let the arrow he had loaded fly. Gorman's arms went slack; he fell to his knees, and collapsed on the ground next to Beth.

Daryl stomped up to the car, yanking the arrow out of the dead man's skull. "Here's what we're gonna do." He stooped to pick up the discarded pistol and tucked it under his belt. He made his way around the car to stand toe to toe with the driver. "You're gonna take us to this hospital, get my girl here all fixed up, and once she's healed, you're gonna drive us back out here so we can keep looking for the rest of our family." He was now face to face with the other man, who was clearly quivering in fear. "Ain'tcha?" The driver nodded vigorously.

Daryl walked back to where Beth was still lying unconscious, keeping one eye on the driver the whole time. He carefully picked her up and gently placed her on the car seat, closed the door, and walked back around to sit behind the driver. "Let's move," he commanded, and the driver obeyed.

The three of us stood in shock. I knew Daryl could be a hard ass, but this type of behavior left me absolutely flabbergasted. Beth regained consciousness along the way and Daryl had explained to her what was happening. Then something remarkable happened – Beth curled into his side, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and hugged his side, muttering a thank you. Daryl stiffened, but eventually relaxed against her and even brought his arm to rest around her shoulders, his eyes constantly on alert for any sign of foul play.

I inhaled sharply at the contact, still not accustomed to seeing such a closeness between the two, but the looks Annette and Jo gave me had me rethinking and realizing that my Bethy could do far worse than a man like Daryl Dixon. We watched as they approached the hospital and the driver escorted them inside. He brought them to meet the woman in charge, a small but fierce woman named Dawn Lerner. She told Daryl they would help Beth, but because her officers had effectively rescued them from a herd of rotters and now they'd be giving Beth medical treatment, they would owe the people at Grady.

"Like hell," Daryl spat back at her. "Wouldn't be here if it weren't for your boy...the hell was his name...Gorman. Nah. You owe us. I'll let you off the hook if you get her back to health and we'll get the hell out of here."

"And what about payment for while you're staying here? It'll be at least a couple weeks until her wrist is completely healed. That's quite a drain on our resources. You would still owe us," she insisted.

Daryl chewed his lip, weighing his options. "Aight. I go hunting, every damn day, bring you back what I can. Fair enough?"

Apparently the idea of fresh meat on a daily basis appealed to the rest of the staff privy to the conversation; they all looked expectantly at Dawn, who finally acquiesced. "Fair enough. My medical team heals her, you provide food, and the minute the cast is off, you're gone."

Daryl didn't say another word to her, only fixed her with an icy glare. A doctor, or at least a man dressed in a white lab coat, came forward to usher them into an exam room to treat Beth's cut cheek and fractured wrist, Daryl never leaving her side for a moment.

I chuckled to myself. "Ladies. I think our girl is going to be just fine."


	14. The Only One

**For babygirl051410 - Thanks for the prompt!**

_Daryl saves Beth from being kidnapped at the cemetery house, but after she only trusts him, they admit to eachother that they like eachother and want to be together, then they find Maggie and Glenn together, without everyone else, and when Maggie goes to grab Beth and hug her, Beth has a panic attack and only Daryl can calm her down. Maggie freaks out and doesn't understand why Beth is so close to Daryl. Eventually Beth comes to trust Maggie, but Daryl is still the only one she trusts 100%._

"Don't, 'iunno.'" She smiled at him, "What changed your mind?"

Daryl could only stare back at the young girl…woman…in front of him. The words were sitting right there on the tip of his tongue. 'You, Beth!' his mind screamed. 'You changed my mind. You with your goodness and kindness and hope.' His mouth would not, could not, cooperate. He could only hope that she would understand, that she would somehow be able to read his mind.

He fought hard to control the nervousness he suddenly felt. 'I ain't scared o' nothin'.' He had growled it at her just weeks ago. It was all a lie now. He was scared: scared of her knowing how he felt; scared of her feeling the same way; scared of her not returning his feelings; scared of losing her. While Daryl didn't know exactly what these feelings were, he knew that Beth was the only one he'd ever had them for, the only one he'd want to share them with.

"Oh," she said softly, her voice just above a whisper. He wasn't sure what that one little word meant. Had she taken his silence as him not giving a damn? Had she actually understood what he meant? Her eyes widened just a fraction. Daryl's heartrate picked up a notch. He stayed quiet, not knowing how to move on from the awkwardness of the moment, but regretting his silence at the same time. He was reluctant to admit whatever it was he was feeling, but he damn sure didn't want her to get the wrong idea just because he was too chicken shit to man up and say it...say what he thought she needed to hear. He found himself leaning toward her, as if he were drawn to her by some unseen force. Her lips parted just slightly; Daryl wasn't sure if she was getting ready to say something or not, but she seemed to be leaning over toward him as well.

The silent tension was building between them, but was shattered by the tin cans serving as an alarm he had rigged up on the porch. Daryl mumbled something about giving the dog one more chance and grabbed the jar of pickled pigs' feet, twisting off the lid. He opened the door without checking to see what was outside and immediately regretted it; on the other side of the door was a dozen or so walkers, all rushing to get at him.

Daryl threw himself against the door, unable to close it but fighting to hold off the walkers as long as possible. He called for Beth, who came into the entryway with his crossbow. She tossed it over to him, and he ordered her to run, to grab her shit and head up to the road, that he'd meet her there. She tried to argue, telling him she wouldn't leave him, but he yelled again for her to crawl out the window and get out.

He led the walkers into the embalming room in the basement, hoping to give her enough time to escape. He took out all he could, leaving behind the bolts from his crossbow that he just couldn't retrieve, and made his way back upstairs and outside. He rushed through the copse of trees, headed toward the road. What he saw ahead of him had his head reeling, his heart leaping up into his throat, and his vision turning red.

Beth had made it to the road, but she wasn't alone. There were others, two men and a woman, standing with her…no…they had her surrounded. The two men were manhandling Beth while the woman was rifling through her bag. One man had Beth's arms pinned behind her, holding him firmly against his chest, while the other man was toying a knife against the buttons of her polo, popping them off one by one then working the blade against the fabric, sawing back and forth. The cloth was splitting, revealing the tops of her breasts and coming dangerously close to nicking her skin. Beth was kicking out at the men, though not making contact, and crying loudly and begging them to let her go.

Her screaming stopped as the man in front of her froze, one of Daryl's bolts protruding from the side of his head. As he fell to the ground, the man behind Beth released her and faced the direction from where the arrow had flown. He shoved Beth to the side, causing her to stumble to the ground. The woman stopped going through the bag and stood, facing the same direction as her accomplice. She pulled a pistol from the back of the waistband of her pants and clicked off the safety. "Who's there?" she demanded, pointing her gun into the darkness.

"The one who's gonna be shootin' yer other boy there if you don't put that gun down," Daryl called out from his hiding spot amongst the trees. "Let the girl go. Now." He rushed to reload his weapon, leaving one bolt loaded and one still in the quiver. There was no time to worry about extra ammo, though. His mind was solely focused on saving Beth.

Beth started to lift herself off the ground, favoring her right arm, her hand hanging limply and at an odd angle. 'Shit,' Daryl thought, 'she must have broken her wrist when she fell.' His anger only riled up more at the realization that these bastards had hurt her. She took a shaky step toward his voice, but the woman reached out and dragged her back, pushing her back toward the man still standing. "No, I don't think so," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "We take off with what we want, the girl and all her stuff, you walk away nice and slow and you get to live. Plain and simple."

'Is this bitch actually running this little racket?' Daryl thought as he lowered himself to the ground as silently as he could. 'She's okay with these men groping and pawing over another woman?' The thought made Daryl sick to his stomach. Who knew what other atrocities the woman had permitted while with these two?

There was a sudden flash of movement and a glint of steel in the moonlight; the next thing Daryl knew, the man was screaming in pain, gripping his thigh, which now had a knife, Beth's knife, sticking out of it. 'That's my girl,' Daryl thought.

The woman was only distracted for a moment before firing off several rounds that fanned out into the air above him, where he had just been standing; Daryl took advantage of the opportunity and released the arrow directly into her chest. "Shit," he muttered. The angle was all wrong; he was aiming for her forehead. Still, the bolt had struck right into her chest cavity, so he had to have hit her heart or lung, at least hitting something that meant she wouldn't have long for this world. She fell to the ground in a heap, landing so the point of the arrow was pushed right through her back.

Daryl made his way up to where Beth was standing and the other man was writhing on the ground, screaming in pain and still grasping his thigh. Beth looked beyond terrified, her already small frame seeming to contract in on itself, her arms limply wrapped around herself, the left one supporting the right. He wanted to reach out to her, to hold her, to take her away from all this, but that couldn't happen while the asshole on the ground was still breathing. Without a word, Daryl yanked the blade from the man's leg and quickly jabbed it through his skull, silencing his screams. He made quick work of making sure the woman would not be coming back to bother either of them a second time, wiping the blood off on her shirt and pulling his arrow out of her back.

He turned to Beth, who was clearly shaken, and replaced the knife in the sheath on her hip. "You okay?" he asked, wishing he had some clue as to what to do to comfort her, but this had never been his strong suit. Instead, he stood there awkwardly and waited for her to give him a signal that she'd be okay. Her eyes had a blank, vacant look to them, almost lifeless, and it scared him.

The frightened, glazed over look in her eyes eventually faded into one of recognition as Beth slowly turned to face him. She whimpered slightly and moved toward him, her right arm pinned to her abdomen and her left arm wrapping around him. She pulled herself close, burying her face into his chest. Daryl stood stunned for a moment, just as he had when they were in a similar position standing outside her cell in the prison, a moment that felt like a lifetime ago. Beth started sobbing, her hot tears soaking through to his skin, and Daryl was finally pulled from his momentary stupor and slowly moved to encircle her with his arms. Not sure what else to do, he rubbed his hands up and down her back, hoping to bring her some sort of comfort.

"They just came out from nowhere," she tearfully whispered against him. "I ran, like you said, and ended up running right into them. They were waiting for me," she said, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes. "He just grabbed me, took my bag and gave it to her, and I tried, Daryl, I tried to get away...they said awful things...I knew what they wanted to do to me and I couldn't stop them. Then he...he..." she stammered, a fresh flood of tears starting to well up in her eyes. Daryl wanted to stop her, to tell her she didn't have to tell him any more than she already had, but somehow knew she needed to get this out. This was for her benefit, not his, so he waited and just kept the steady motion of his hands up and down her back. She swallowed and tried again, her voice barely audible, "They started touching me, trying to kiss me." She made a disgusted noise and shivered against him, "Ugh, I can still feel their hands on me."

Words finally found their way to Daryl's mouth, "Hey, hey...it's okay. They're all gone now, they can't hurt you anymore."

Beth looked up at him, blinking to try to clear away her tears. "Daryl, if you hadn't come when you did, they might have..."

"Yeah, but they didn't. You're okay now, Greene," he cut her off. He didn't want to think of what might have happened. She stepped back from him after a long quiet moment, and his eyes were instantly, instinctually drawn to her chest; her torn shirt revealed more than he should be able to see of her. He immediately averted his eyes. "Shit, Greene," he mumbled and shrugged off his vest and jacket, letting them drop to the ground, then quickly unbuttoned one of his shirts, making sure to keep his eyes focused on the task at hand and not the shivering blonde in front of him. Once the shirt was off, he offered it to her. "To, uh...cover yourself up," he weakly explained, not daring to raise his eyes to look at her. The girl had just been through some rough stuff and didn't need him gaping at her in her damn hour of need. She took the shirt from him; he fought to ignore the tingle in his chest when her fingers brushed his. He busied himself with picking up the contents of her bag and checking the three bodies on the ground for anything else they could use while Beth took of her cardigan and struggled to get into his shirt before donning the gray sweater again.

"Daryl?" she spoke softly. He looked up at her and tore his eyes from her right away; she was standing there with his shirt gaping open, along with her cardigan. "I...I can't button it. I think I broke my wrist when he pushed me."

Daryl took a couple deep breaths. She needed to button up; they'd be walking all night to find a new place to take shelter, and she'd need to stay warm. He needed to figure out what to do about her wrist, too. Before any of that, though, he had to do this for her. He swallowed hard and stepped toward her slowly, not wanting to startle her, especially after what she'd just been through. He could feel her breath on the backs of his hands as he worked the buttons into their holes, starting at the bottom of the shirt and working his way up. He fought like hell to focus on the fabric of his shirt, not the torn fabric of hers or the soft looking skin underneath it all. Daryl noticed her breathing quicken as he reached her chest, and his fingers fumbled momentarily before fastening the garment all the way up to the collar, then working to wrap the cardigan snuggly around her.

"Thank you," she whispered. They stood absolutely still, unable to look anywhere but into each other's eyes. The sound of approaching walkers spurred them into action.

"C'mon, Greene," Daryl said, putting his hand on her good elbow and turning her to start heading down the road. They moved as quickly as they could, always mindful of Beth's ankle and aching wrist.

After a matter of uneventful hours, just before dawn, they came across a hidden driveway along the side of the road. Hoping for the best, they followed it through the woods; it led them to a small cabin, well-hidden amongst the trees. Daryl gruffly told Beth to wait outside while he went in and made sure the coast was clear. The cabin was small enough that it didn't take long to search through it for humans or walkers, luckily not finding any of either. When he reappeared outside, he motioned for Beth to follow him in. He pulled out a chair for her at the tiny kitchen table and motioned for her bag. He rooted through it for a moment, feeling more than actually looking in the dimly lit room, and finally producing what he'd been searching for - pain killers. He poured a couple pills into his hand and grabbed a water bottle out of the bag and twisted off the cap, offering it all to Beth.

"Wanna get those working before I try and mess with your wrist," he explained, a worried look crossing his face. He looked carefully at her wrist and hoped to hell he'd be able to help her.

"Daryl?" she asked softly. He looked up at her, panic seeping into his eyes. "Have you ever set a broken bone before?" Daryl shook his head, and Beth nodded slightly in return. "I helped Daddy once...one of our neighbor's horses. It wasn't that bad. Although he had a tranquilizer, not just Tylenol," she grinned up at him even though her face was laced with pain. "Okay. You're gonna have to feel around and find where the break is." Daryl cringed at the idea, and Beth noticed. "Mister big hunter man gets queasy?" she teased, reaching across herself to feel around her injured wrist to find the break. "Okay, here, right here." She nodded her head, indicating where she needed Daryl to put his fingers. "Feel that? It's not that bad. The bone's still together, just displaced. We have to get the two ends back together, line them up."

Daryl gulped. "How the hell we do that? Just push 'em back?"

"No. You have to pull, get the parts to separate, then line them up the right way again."

"Ain't that gonna hurt?"

"Oh, it'll hurt like hell," she said, her voice loud and shaky at the same time. "But I'd rather have it set right than have one hand completely useless." She huffed out a big breath and got out of her chair. "Turn this around for me." Daryl did as she asked, and she sat, straddling the back of the chair, bracing her shoulder against the back and letting her arm rest on the table. "You sit there," she indicated the seat across from her. "You're gonna have to pull hard and line everything up. I can't do this myself, Daryl." She looked up at him pleadingly. "Hold my hand. It's supposed to help keep the tendons straight." He silently followed her orders. She ducked her head down and took a deep breath. "Whenever you're ready," she whispered.

It was over in seconds, but her pained scream echoed in his ears for hours afterwards. He found a broom in a closet and broke the handle over his knee, then used a sheet he'd found on the bed, tearing it into strips, and created a crude splint to keep her arm immobile from the elbow down. He helped her into the bed and made to leave her to get some rest. "Stay with me," she whispered. Daryl knew he'd never be able to say no to her. He sat on the floor, leaning his back against the bed. Even when he heard her breathing even out, telling him she'd fallen asleep, he'd stayed there with her, all through the night, nodding off here and there only to snap back to consciousness as his chin reached his chest.

She woke up just after dawn, and Daryl had more Tylenol and water waiting for her. He helped her up and guided her to the kitchen table again so she had a surface to rest her arm against. He found a granola bar in the bottom of her bag and split it in two, giving her to bigger portion, ignoring her attempts to resist. While she ate, he made a thorough search of the cabin, finding a couple cans of food that would at least last them through the day, maybe two, some clothes that might fit, other odds and ends that he decided to bring out to her, just in case. He plopped down a bottle of Tums in front of her.

Beth gave him a skeptical look. "Granola doesn't exactly give me heartburn, Daryl."

He grunted and picked up the container, pointing out the nutritional information. "Good source of calcium," he read, sounding slightly proud of himself. "Good for bones, right?" He popped the top off and dumped two tablets into his palm and offered them to her. Beth rolled her eyes and took them, crunching on them and humming at the fruity sweetness. Daryl watched her for a moment before shaking his head, pulling himself back from whatever trance he'd found himself in, and set the bottle in front of her. "Don't over do 'em while I'm gone."

"Where are you going?" she asked, her voice heavy with concern.

"Gonna go see if I can hunt some meat. Get some protein in ya," he replied as he shouldered his crossbow. He saw her nervous expression and added, "I won't be too far. When I leave, make sure the door stays closed and keep quiet. Any trouble, you start yellin', I'll hear ya." He reached for the doorknob.

"Daryl?" she asked hesitantly. Her voice sounded so scared. He turned to face her again and was surprised to find she had already crossed the room and was standing in front of him. The regarded each other for a moment, neither speaking. Suddenly, Beth reached up on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.

His eyebrows furrowed, "For what?"

The corner of her mouth curled into a half smile. "For everything. For saving me last night, for getting me here, for taking care of my arm." She paused and looked right into his eyes, "For taking care of me."

He looked right back at her. There wasn't a trace of nervousness in her expression. She looked...confident. Like she had some kind of feeling that nothing would hurt her. Something in the back of Daryl's brain tried to convince him that he had something to do with that, but he shook the notion away. He nodded once to her and turned back and headed out the door.

A few hours later, he returned, two squirrels tied to his belt and his arms full of sticks small branches. He deposited the wood near the wood-burning stove in the corner of the kitchen then set to work preparing the rodents for their meal. Within an hour, he presented Beth with a small bowl of roasted meat and a freshly filled bottle of water. They ate in comfortable silence; Daryl left the door of the stove open so they could watch the fire dance within and to let its warmth fill the room. He was lost in thought, thinking of all the things that needed to be done. With Beth's injury, he knew they wouldn't be able to move around much like they'd been doing. He wouldn't be able to just stay put inside; their abrupt departure from the funeral home had resulted in their leaving all the food from the cabinets and any other supplies they had gathered, save for whatever was in Beth's bag. Daryl resigned to scavenging for things they would need, and knew he'd be working solo, so each trip would take longer than if he had Beth there to help. He started thinking about ways to fortify the cabin, to make it safe for Beth to stay in while he was gone. He felt a pang stab into his heart at the thought of leaving her alone for several hours each day, but he had to keep her safe, keep her healthy.

"You okay?" she asked softly. Her voice snapped Daryl from his thoughts and back to the present.

He turned to look at her. 'God, she's beautiful.' He surprised himself, certainly not expecting his mind to have gone there, no matter how true the realization was. Her blonde hair had turned positively golden in the firelight, her eyes wide with concern, but there was still her spirit, her own internal fire, burning brightly. He was more than glad to see that it had returned. "'M fine," he responded at last.

Beth nodded, lowering her eyes to the cushion between them. "You just seem quiet…even for you," she explained.

"Just thinkin' is all," he shrugged.

"Me, too," she peeked up at him from behind her eyelashes.

Daryl's pulse kicked up, picking up on a subtlety in her tone. He swallowed, "Yeah?"

She nodded again. "Yeah," she said softly, but didn't continue. He was wondering if he should ask what she'd been thinking about, doubting it was anything along the same lines he had been. "We, um…we never got to finish our conversation from last night."

'Shit,' he cursed internally. He should have seen this coming. "S'pose we didn't."

"You were going to tell me what changed your mind…why you all of a sudden think there are good people out there," she prompted.

Daryl suddenly found the cuticle of his thumb incredibly interesting and started picking at it. "I think you already know," he mumbled, not daring to look at her.

A moment silently slipped by before Beth spoke again. "I think I know, too…and I think I know why it's hard for you to admit it." She readjusted in her seat, angling herself sideways to face him directly. She reached out and pulled his right hand into her left. She waited until he looked at her, "It's the same for me too, Daryl. I feel the same way about you."

His eyebrows came together slightly as her words sunk in, then shot up toward his hairline in surprise. "You…you do?" he asked incredulously. Beth gave him a warm smile and nodded excitedly. "Yeah, but…Beth, we…"

"You're a good person, Daryl," she cut him off. "The best, really. You may not see it, but you show it all the time, how you always put other's needs before your own, always watching out for us…for me." She paused for a moment, and he thought about responding, but words failed him. His mind was full of doubt; how could a wonderful person like Beth, so sweet and young and good and pure, want anything to do with a rough old redneck like him? "And before you think of any reasons we shouldn't be together, I don't care. None of it matters to me." His eyes almost popped out of his head…how did she do that?

"Do you…is this something you want? To be with…me?" Beth asked hesitantly.

Daryl answered, his voice soft and low, "You sure you want someone like me?"

Beth thought for a moment, and the wait was killing him. "No," she finally answered, and Daryl's heart sank. He tried to pull his hand out of her grip, but she held him fast. He looked up at her and saw a grin growing across her face. "No, I don't want someone like you. I just want you." She brought his hand to her face and brushed her lips against his rough knuckles.

"Beth…" he began, his breath catching in his throat. He could hardly believe it; it was like his dreams had come true. Never would he have ever thought that he would be so lucky. Her eyes met his and her lips parted just slightly. Little by little, ever so slowly, Daryl leaned over toward her on the couch, their hands still joined between them. He could feel her soft breath across his face, and could swear she could hear his heart pounding furiously against the walls of his ribcage.

After a short eternity, their lips finally met, just a pure and simple kiss…and it was perfect. Her lips were soft and sweet against his, and he was in heaven. Without breaking contact, he scooted closer to her and carefully put his arms around her, combing his fingers through her hair, drawing her into him. Their lips moved against each other in a delicious friction. He timidly teased his tongue against her lips, and she opened just the tiniest bit for their tongues to meet; he felt a sudden rush of…something…course through his entire system. It delighted and frightened him all at once, and he pulled back slightly, but not before pressing one more kiss to her lips.

"Wow," she whispered, her eyes still closed and her body still leaning into his; Daryl smiled bashfully and hung his head. She giggled and he peeked up at her through his shaggy hair, nervous at what he'd see.

Beth was all smiles next to him on the couch. Daryl's heart warmed at the realization that he could make her even a little happy. He thought of the words she'd said and the kiss they'd just shared and knew then and there that he'd make sure she was happy and healthy and safe for the rest of his life, whether she wanted him or not. The idea terrified and thrilled him all at once. She was the only one to ever make him feel this way, and he knew that there would be no other who could even come close to her.

They kissed again and again, always keeping their kisses simple. Daryl decided Beth deserved a gentleman, and while he hadn't been raised as such, he was going to work like hell to become whatever she needed. When their kisses were interrupted by her yawn, she giggled again, this time slightly embarrassed and worked to get up off the couch. She turned and held out her hand to him, which he took tentatively, and she guided him over to the bed. He made to sit on the floor beside her again, but she stopped him. "Lay down with me," she murmured, and with her good hand, turned down the covers and kicked off her boots. Daryl followed suit, then followed her into bed. It took a while before they could find a position where her wrist wouldn't be aggravated, but would be comfortable enough for the both of them.

It took Daryl a long time to find sleep that night, and the night after, and on for the next week, but eventually they fell into an easy routine. Their days had become almost predictable, generally speaking. There was of course the odd herd of walkers that they would hunker down and hide from, and a surprising windfall when Daryl would go scouting or scavenging and would come back with all sorts of supplies that they could use, along with clothes for the both of them (he had to guess on her size, and was happy to have guessed correctly). He would even surprise her with books he thought she would like; he always felt bad for her being cooped up with nothing to entertain her, and she was always more than grateful to him for the gesture. Beth did what she could with her one hand, though with her broken wrist, she couldn't even work a can opener, so meals always had to wait until Daryl returned to the cabin before Beth could really get started cooking the food.

The two of them came to know each other more and more with each passing day, telling each other stories from their respective pasts over dinner, and sharing secrets while sitting in front of the fire in between kisses. They got more and more comfortable lying in bed together as well, often winding up with their limbs entwined together, but both agreed their nighttime activities could not go any further than cuddling until Beth's wrist was fully healed.

The wait was starting to drive them crazy, but each knew it would all be worth it in the end.

After several weeks, Beth couldn't stand being cooped up inside the cabin any longer. She needled at Daryl until he caved and agreed to take her along on a quick hunting trip. He had made it crystal clear that she was to remain at his side at all times, and she followed his order exactly. They stayed so close that their arms kept brushing against each other until Daryl finally reached down and laced his fingers between hers. They both smiled, enjoying the feeling of being a somewhat normal couple in such a twisted world like the one they were living in. 'What's normal anymore?' Daryl asked himself, and found his only answer was the way he felt with Beth, as if before her there was something missing, even if he hadn't realized it until they had confessed their feelings for each other.

Together they hiked through the woods surrounding the cabin, checking on traps Daryl had set in the weeks prior. He couldn't contain his smile when Beth recognized some animal tracks and begged him to let her follow them, all the while holding hands. Daryl had never been on a date, and wondered if Beth ever had, but he imagined his perfect date would be full of moments just like this one.

The tracks led them to a small clearing, and as Beth continued to follow, Daryl's survival instinct kicked in: he felt like they were being watched. He scanned the trees surrounding them and didn't see much, so it surprised them both when a figure came bolting out of the bushes near them and made a beeline for the couple.

"Beth!"

A woman's voice pierced the silence of the forest. In a flash, a woman with a brown head of hair came barreling toward Beth and wrapped her arms around her small frame.

Maggie...followed very closely by Glenn.

For all the times Beth talked about getting to see her sister and brother-in-law again, Daryl certainly expected more of a reaction from Beth. He had dropped her hand and saw that she was keeping her injured wrist clear of Maggie's embrace, but something was still off. He finally realized it...that vacant expression had filled Beth's entire person, not just her face. She looked as if she couldn't breathe, her skin had gone pasty white, and her arms hung limply as Maggie held her tight, pinning her arms to her sides, and started pressing kisses on the side of her face.

Before Daryl could step in, Glenn had come up to the two Greene sisters and thrown his arms around both. Maggie and Glenn were both laughing and crying and shouting excitedly at having found their little sister; neither saw the effect they were having on the poor girl between them.

The one-sided joy was shattered when Beth let out a series ear-splitting screams, which made Maggie and Glenn to release her instantly, both of them looking at her in shock.

Beth brought both arms to cross her chest and her knees buckled, causing her to fall to the forest floor in a quivering, sobbing heap.

Maggie and Glenn could only stare at her, slack-jawed, their glances flitting back and forth between the girl on the ground and the redneck that stood before them, both sets of eyes filled with unspoken questions.

Daryl took a step toward her and lowered himself slowly to join her on the grass beneath them. "Beth?" he asked softly. It was killing him to have to give her space and not touch her when he'd basically had free reign to touch her when he wanted for the past couple weeks. "Beth, baby, come on, breathe for me." He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, relieved that she accepted his touch. Her eyes slowly came up to focus on him, and he could see the vacant look just barely start to fade; she forced a deep breath and let it out slowly. Daryl swallowed hard and moved just a little closer, letting his hand reach around her shoulder to rest on her back, offering her whatever support he could.

"Baby?" Maggie interjected. "What do you mean, 'baby?'" she spat out, her tone furious, which matched her expression to a tee. "What have you done to her?" She bent over to grab Beth under her arms to lift her off the ground.

Beth tensed up again, any color she had regained in her few minutes of reprieve from having someone's hands on her had drained from her face again. She let out a pained wail, "NO!" and started hysterically sobbing. The sound broke Daryl's heart; it was the same he had heard the night they had left the funeral home.

"Keep yer damn hands offa her," he barked out. He stood, not quite toe to toe with Maggie, but kept her locked in a vicious glare and waited for her to back down. When Daryl felt there was ample space between the sisters, he knelt beside Beth again and began coaxing her back from whatever brink she was teetering on. Thankful that she had not started screaming when he rested his hand on her back again, he moved closer and eased his other hand under her knees. He slowly scooped her up into his arms, cradling her, then carefully stood. "I've gotcha, sweetheart. I've gotcha," he murmured, and continued whispering little reassurances to her as he walked through the woods, trying to find the smoothest terrain to cross to make the journey easier for her, even if it meant going well out of his way to find it. He heard Glenn and Maggie's heavy footsteps behind him, along with their not-so-hushed conversation, but paid them no mind. His concentration was on one thing, and one thing only – to get Beth back to the safety of their cabin.

It took all night and the better part of the next day before Beth would speak to anyone, and even then, it was only with Daryl. Even within the cabin, she would shy away from her sister and brother-in-law, but welcomed Daryl's presence, much to Maggie's chagrin. As time passed, Maggie's frustration and anger only grew, clearly resenting Daryl for being given this privilege. He could practically hear her screaming her thoughts at him, accusing him of doing God knows what to her little sister. Daryl wanted to tell her off, to put her in her place and set her straight, to tell Maggie exactly where she can go with her crappy attitude, but refused to give in to that temptation, knowing it would only upset Beth. He knew her, probably better than he knew himself, and knew that deep down, Beth wanted to be able to be with her sister, but while her arm was well on the mend, her mind was apparently still in need of healing, and it would be a long road to recovery. Instead, Daryl held his tongue and focused on getting Beth back, back to when she was all smiles and kisses just for him. She would tell the other two exactly what happened, but only when she was good and ready to face those demons.

And when she did, she would know that he was there to support her every step of the way.

The first night the four had shared the cabin, Daryl had offered to stay up and keep watch, figuring Glenn and Maggie would need the rest...and to keep an eye on Beth, just in case. He had stayed on one of the kitchen chairs all night, which he had moved to sit between the bed and the couch.

The second night, however, Glenn had taken the night watch. Maggie had stayed on the couch, and once she had gone to sleep, Daryl joined Beth in their bed, convincing himself he had only waited to avoid Maggie's menacing glare. His heart soared when Beth gazed up at him, a small smile gracing her face. He lay on his back and offered his arm to her, offering Beth her usual place, resting snugly against him. She rested her head on his shoulder, her bandaged hand resting lightly on his chest. Daryl allowed his arm to wrap around her, tracing delicate patterns on the smooth skin of her side.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

Daryl bolted awake at Maggie's scream. The room around him was still very dimly lit, indicating that the sun had not risen, but Beth's sister had. He glanced down at Beth; apparently, sometime in the night, they had curled into each other, their legs becoming tangled underneath the blankets, their arms wrapped around each other's bodies.

"I can't get within feet of her but you can put your dirty redneck hands all over her?" Maggie seethed. Glenn said her name, softly, trying to calm her down. "NO! This is disgusting! What the hell have you done to her?"

"Ain't done nothin' to her," Daryl growled out. He had almost added 'nothing she didn't want,' but thought better of it, knowing it was the truth, but it would imply things he just didn't want to deal with first thing in the morning.

"Oh, and I'm supposed to believe that?" Maggie yelled, crossing her arms over her chest. She reached over and grabbed Beth's upper arm, "Let's go, Beth. I'm getting you away from..."

"NO!" Beth let out a blood curdling scream and Maggie dropped her arm as if it was a hot iron. "Don't touch me! Don't ever touch me!"

There was a ferocious tone to Beth's voice that Daryl had never heard before. She threw the covers off herself and crawled over Daryl to face her sister.

"How _dare _you! To accuse Daryl of doing anything less than noble to me or with me. You have _no idea_ what I've been through, what we've been through, and for you to jump to the absolute worst conclusion...we ain't doin' nothing wrong, and even if we are, it's none of your business!"

Maggie wasn't to be deterred. "I wouldn't have to jump to any conclusions if you'd just talk to me. Why can't you talk to me about anything?"

Beth stood there, frozen in place, tears trickling down her cheeks. Daryl stood beside her and gingerly placed his arm around her, giving her his silent reassurance. Beth glanced up at him and took a deep breath before facing her sister again, "I can't, Maggie. I just can't. Not yet."

"Oh, but you can go and shack up with _him_? You can talk to him and not me?"

Beth's whole body tensed up as she stood her ground. "We are _not_ shacking up. Stop treating this as if it's something it's not. And yes, I can talk to him because he's been there this whole time. He saved me when...when it happened. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here."

"So you owe him now? He saved you so you're sleeping with him? I thought Mama and Daddy raised you better than to be..." her sentence was cut off by Beth's hand slapping across her face.

"I told you," Beth's voice was almost unrecognizable. "It's _not_ like that, so stop bringing it up."

Maggie stood there, her hand on her now red cheek, her mouth gaping open in shock. Tears had started welling up in her eyes. "Beth...how could you...why? Why is he the only one?"

Beth took her place next to Daryl and said simply, "Because I love him."


End file.
